Golden Mist
by PeanutAngel
Summary: Sequel to Gray Silence: Sol Faolan is a new Exorcist to the Order, who doesn't care much for others and the secret war. Cold and dangerous, will Sol destroy the peace? Things at the Order just got far more interesting... HIATUS.
1. Prologue: Hurricane

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine.

A/N: Well, I never actually thought there'd be a sequel to **GRAY SILENCE**, but here it is. –shrugs-

Yes, our main character is no longer Cat, but she does still play a major role, which you will see upon reading this prologue.

So, here I present to you Golden Mist, the sequel to Gray Silence. While you don't need to read GS to understand GM, it's highly recommended.

/end obnoxiously long author note

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND**

Hurricane

30 Seconds to Mars

…X…

"Sol, stay hidden here, and don't move, do you understand?" A panicked mother asked her son who was staring up at her with wide eyes. They were an unusual shade of golden hazel, and were lit up with fear. Hearing the cries of people outside the small house, the roar of monsters, and the barks of wild canines, the mother slammed the doors of the armoire shut. Suddenly the mother realized that in her haste she had forgotten the tiny child downstairs. Cursing under her breath, the brown-haired woman rushed from the room and down the stairs, leaving the elder child alone.

Yet when left to their own devices, even in a serious, life-threatening situation, children tend to get into more trouble.

Slipping out of the safety of the large oak armoire in his parent's room, the boy padded across the room softly and opened the door with a push. Glancing down the stairs, he heard his little brother's frantic crying and his mother trying to shush him. Without a total grasp of the situation, the eight-year-old went downstairs and through the hallway into the main room, only to stop dead in his tracks as the door came crashing down, and a fearsome-looking wolf barged in. It snarled at the boy's mother, who screamed and backed right into the corner of the room, still holding her baby.

No longer able to see his mother, the boy grasped the corner of the wall and peered out, watching as a second, much smaller wolf joined the gray one. Just barely coming up to the gray wolf's stomach, this new wolf seemed to be pitch-black with piercing azure eyes. Captivated and frightened by this mystic creature, the boy flinched as a voice rang out, gruff and sounding like the crunch of gravel.

"See that woman and her child? I want you to kill them. Strike those filthy humans dead, and teach them a lesson they won't soon forget, even in the afterlife!" The child realized it was the taller wolf that spoke, and something didn't strike the boy as right.

_Animals don't talk…_

"But Arashi…" The black pup sounded very frightened herself, and very tentative, with her eyes focused on the mother who was crying and begging to be saved.

"What? Do you fear the blood on your maw?" The elder snapped roughly, pinning the tiny black wolf underneath his large paws. Narrowing his eyes, he leaned down close to her left ear and spoke in low, menacing tones. The boy had no idea what was being said, but the blue eyes of the pup widened before they seemed to go back to normal size.

Allowing her up, Arashi stepped back with a satisfied grunt as she moved towards the cowering mother who still cradled her youngest child. The boy that was still hiding continued to watch the scene with his heart beating in his throat. Not even realizing tears were pouring down his face, the child watched as the black pup grabbed his mother by the foot and actually managed to drag her more out into the open. The woman offered a blood-curdling scream and the wolf pounced on her, silencing the human within seconds. The baby's cries echoed through the room, but as one paw lifted into the air and came swinging down, it too, was quiet a moment later.

"Your first kill," the gray wolf practically purred like a cat as the black pup took a few steps backwards. "Now, are there any others in here we need to purge from this world?"

The crying boy bit his lip and backed away a bit as those piercing blue eyes landed on him. Their eyes met for a moment before the wolf's eyes flashed away. "No, Arashi." The answer was simple and with a shake of her right paw, scarlet drops of blood littered the wooden floor and pieces of the broken door. Setting the foot down, the wolf pup grimaced though at the bloody paw mark that was left behind. All it did was remind her of the heinous deed she had just committed.

"Good," he growled, using his tail to guide her out of the house. "Now that we're done here, let's go back and celebrate our win. Wolves will always be the ultimate victors, humans be damned." The black pup made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat and they disappeared from sight. Finally the only noises heard throughout the town were the occasional roar of a monster and the crackle of fire as the town slowly burned to the ground.

In the house, the boy sat there sobbing. "Mother, father, Lian…" He continued to chant those three names until the snap of a piece of wood broke his reserve. Thinking that one of those evil creatures had come to kill him, the child whimpered, arms over his head in fear.

"Oh come on, get up you stupid boy." This voice was totally new, and when the child looked up he saw a brown-haired man with sharp steel-gray eyes, a beard, and a tan cloak around his frame. The man grabbed him by the wrist, and dragged the eight-year-old onto his feet, before sweeping him out of the house. To hide the bloody remains of the child's mother and brother, the man wrapped his cloak around the child. Not only did it save him from seeing the disgusting image, it also helped keep some of the smoke out of his nostrils from the fire that swept across the town. It had yet to touch this house, but it wouldn't be long before this place too was nothing but embers.

"But-" the boy began before earning a hard look from the tall man.

"If you want to stay here and either burn to death or be eaten by some other creature, than be my guest. I decided to be a kind, giving soul, and save your wretched ass, but if you have other plans, then…" The man stopped short on the hill overlooking the entire small village. Turning the boy around with one hand and gesturing with his opened palm to the burning embers, the man raised one eyebrow questioningly. The boy looked on in horror as even his house caught on fire, only moments after they have left it. Now, he knew, he had nothing to return to. Unless…

"What about my father?" The boy asked petulantly, wide eyes staring up at the stranger.

"Most likely killed by an Akuma." He said in short, wanting to get moving before any more of the said creatures appeared. "Your mother was obviously killed by a wolf, am I right?" The boy instantly looked away, confirming the man's suspicions that had seen the death of his mother and brother. Sighing, he placed one hand on the boy's shoulder and led him away from the scene of death and destruction.

"What are Akuma?" The small child then asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"You will learn about the enemies you must face eventually, and I will teach you how to fight. It will all be up to you though, how you choose to use the power you've been given by the likes of God." Keeping his eyes on the path ahead while occasionally scanning the area for any threats, the man's answer was short, sweet, and to the point. It almost seemed to be a foreshadowing of what was to come in the boy's life, and while the man hated what would become of the child, he knew there was nothing he could do.

This boy had been chosen by another force, and there was no possible way to change it now, unless he was killed. To the man, that wasn't an option, although later the boy might practically beg for it; the life he would have would be nothing short of Hell, and no person should have to go through it. But again, it was up to the brown-haired child to choose the path he wished to take, and the man could only hope it was the one of good, to help save the innocent involved with this secret war. Wrapping one hand around the silver ring in his pocket, the man knew that his new pupil would have to learn quickly, or die young.

That was just the way this war worked.

The boy stared down at his feet, one image still fresh in his mind; a black wolf with hollow blue eyes, and an insatiable thirst for human blood.

Or at least, that's how he chose to remember the damnable creature. And that's how it would remain for many more years to come, until they met again, and the lives of those around them changed. Every creature that had ties with others was slowly connected to every other person in the world, through a string of unbreakable threads. It was this never-ending circuit that would bring these two souls together again, and force them to work side-by-side to destroy the great evil that existed within their world.

"_There are no coincidences in this world; only the inevitable."_

…X…

_No matter how many deaths that I die, I will never forgive,_

_No matter how many lies that I live, I would never regret,_

_There is a fire inside of this heart, a riot about to explode into flames,_

_Where is your God?_

…X…

And so there you have prologue! Why do I always ramble at the end?

And yes, those are lyrics from the song at the end; a new addition to my already fucked up format.

Oh pfft, whatever. Anyways, for those of you who are also CLAMP/xxxHolic/Tsubasa Chronicle fans, you should recognize that end quote.

-coughs- Anyways, same deal as GS; an update every Saturday. Aren't I a kind person? –shot-

Well, enjoy, and I look forward to seeing old GS fans, along with new fans!

Please go to my profile to read **GRAY SILENCE**, if you haven't already, and you're totally confused. :3

NOW GO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER!

-PA


	2. Heaven's Not Enough

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Ah ha, so you've decided to come and read the first chapter, have you?

Well, kudos for you my friend! I hope you continue to read and review!

Anyways, welcome, and please continue to enjoy GM…

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Heaven's Not Enough

Steve Conte

…X…

"And I do believe I've won…yet again." A brown haired girl wearing nothing but a black tank top and black Capri's sat there, smirking merrily at the boy sitting across from her. He groaned out loud, earning scoffs and boisterous laughter from his comrades. Grumbling under his breath, he lifted his head if only to glare at said girl. "Strip boy, strip," she practically purred, a small glint in her eyes.

"Yeah Allen," Lavi the red-head supported.

Allen Walker, the now sixteen-year-old Exorcist, continued to mutter to himself before he finally yanked off his boots. "Happy now?" He growled at his partner, Cat. The girl nodded, pleased by the boy's decision to cooperate. He now only had his boxers on, and the wolf felt very accomplished; she hadn't lost a single hand to him, even though to her eyes it was obvious he was cheating. Yet, as she told him half-way through, if you cheat against a player who knows you're doing just that, they'll show the same courtesy in return.

"Not quite. One more round?" Smirking as the boy spluttered and flushed bright red, she shook her head as he asked for his clothes. "Not a chance, boy. You're not getting off that easy."

"But…!" He objected, both freezing and embarrassed. He was tired of getting hollered at by others in the cafeteria every time he lost and had to remove yet another article of clothing. He certainly wasn't going to lose the last thing he had on. He just flat out refused to go any further. He thought that he could get the girl back, but instead he just dug his own grave. How embarrassing…

"Lavi, take his clothes and hide them." Allen nearly screeched in rage as Cat began to hand over his clothes to Lavi, who most certainly would make sure they would never be found again. Or if they were, it would be a pain to get them or an embarrassment to even try.

Forming a little scheme in his mind, the white-haired boy prayed that this would work. "Cat…" He then begged, earning her full attention with his wide, puppy-like eyes. Whimpering slightly and jutting out his lower lip, he knew it was a rare occurrence when a tactic like this worked on the girl, but he would try it anyways.

"Nope," and off ran Lavi with Allen's clothes.

The boy slammed his head down onto the wood table, wincing in pain as a loud crack was heard. "Are you sure you should be killing more brain cells, Moyashi?" Kanda taunted lightly, not surprised in the least bit when said bean sprout sprung up and started yelling at him. It wasn't long before the English kid was being chased by the samurai throughout the entirety of the cafeteria. Cat merely continued to sit there at the table; absent-mindedly shuffling the cards and partially watching the idiots run around until Lenalee sat down across from her.

"How on earth did you beat Allen? I've seen him play poker before, and he's always scary when he does." Her light smile made Cat close her eyes and give a tiny chuckle.

"It's called 'payback'." The fearsome girl's reply was enough to keep Lenalee from asking questions. She had no clue how Cat won, since Allen had the extra cards up his sleeve and Cat obviously didn't have that ability. Fortunately though, it was the old man, Bookman, to ask that particular question.

"So, how did you cheat without sleeves?" When Cat was silent, he coughed several times, trying to catch her attention. The girl finally acknowledged the old man and glared down at him half-heartedly before demonstrating.

Lifting one hand, she seemed to concentrate slightly before a card appeared out of nowhere with a bit of swirling silver energy. "I've managed to reach the next level with my Innocence, so it would seem. I'm able to conjure up simple things like this, but it's not much. A card certainly won't do me any good in a real battle." Flinging the card at the passing black-haired, angry samurai proved her point; it bounced off, and only served to further anger Kanda.

"What the hell did you just do?" He snarled, coming to stop, beady eyes focused on Cat. She shrugged and smiled innocently before turning her back on him and whistling. Kanda was about to pull out Mugen before a hand on his stopped him. Looking up with a mixture of surprise and annoyance he saw Reever standing there; surprise simply because no one dared to touch him, unless they _wanted_ to die.

"Meeting for all the Exorcists in Komui's office," he offered before he got mutilated by Kanda's blade.

Cat stood up immediately, attention captured. Nearing Reever, she sniffed at him a bit before her eyes widened. "New member?" As soon as the words left her lips, many people went quiet and looked up, surprised immensely. They hadn't had a new member for quite some time. As nice as it might be to gain a new hand to help fight the Earl and the Akuma, people were always wary around the newbies. Even the brown-eyed girl could vouch for being ignored a lot during the first few months of her stay with the Order.

Allen had finally come back, still more than half-naked, and Reever eyed the boy with one questioning eye. "Should I ask?" A quick no from the teen made Reever refrain from asking, but when he told him about the meeting, the boy went rushing off, more than likely to go get dressed.

"Leverrier's here, too," he whispered to Cat as the other Exorcists finally began to head out of the cafeteria to make the trek to Komui's office. The girl's slight nod proved to the scientist that she was still angry at the man. Not only had he nearly gotten both her and Allen executed, he was also the cause of an explosion in the Order a few months back. He had been the devil in every Exorcist's life, and stood as the pinnacle of fear for several of them, Lenalee especially.

That was another thought that popped into his mind as he slowly followed behind the girl as she walked out. Reever had noticed that whenever they were confronted by Leverrier with news or a harsh berating, Cat always seemed to stand closer to Lenalee than anyone else. Did the girl sense her fear and instinctively acted as a pillar of support for the chief's sister? Cat was very much a protector of her friends, and she often risked her own life to protect others, though everyone here could be seen doing that. There could be a quiet air around the girl that made even Leverrier stop and take notice of her movements. And it was that same air that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Cat was certainly one of those women.

"So, what is the new member like?" Cat asked since they were obviously trailing far behind the others as they made their way through the winding hallways. Reever shrugged and grunted, as if to say that he really didn't get the chance to actually pay attention. "It'll be a bit hectic around here for awhile because of him," she whispered, as if to herself. Of course the brown-haired man wasn't surprised that she had caught the smell of the member on his jacket since he brushed past the kid, but he was impressed she could tell it was indeed a male.

While he was always shocked by the jumps in levels in power the Exorcists went through, Cat always seemed to stay the same. It was only recently she had gained a tiny little boost, but her wolf side made up for the distance between her and the others. Also her long history of fighting backed her in that aspect, along with her keen mind, but she refused to back down just because she seemed a bit behind the others. So what if her Innocence hadn't even reached nearing a hundred percent yet, like many of the others? She felt that as long as she could protect her friends and innocent people, the wolf didn't seem to care about power. Sure, she had her second and third wolf forms, but she just couldn't seem to hold them long enough without exerting a lot of energy. So, she pretty much stuck to her first wolf form, which obviously wasn't that dangerous considering the other Exorcists' Innocence.

Finally walking into the room, Reever immediately circled around the Exorcists to stand near Komui and Leverrier. In-between the two men, even though they kept their distance, stood the new member. Everyone was looking at the auburn-haired boy with curious stares, and he mildly stared back, his golden eyes a tad challenging. It was as if he was demanding respect, instead of showing it. There were already a few of the Exorcists – especially the three Generals – that were irked by the kid's attitude.

Cat pushed her way through the small crowd, apologizing to Krory when she nearly stepped on his foot before she made it to Allen's side. Giving him an acknowledged tilt of the head, the girl's hazel eyes then went to the boy. She studied him a moment before he finally looked her way, capturing her gaze with his own.

Feeling like a ghost from her distant past had just consumed her, Cat practically began to shake, an image of blood and fire in her mind's eye.

Noticing that something was wrong with his friend, Allen touched her shoulder softly, breaking her out of her small attack. Wondering what had shaken the girl so much, Allen bent to ask but straightened himself when Leverrier coughed and gave the boy a pointed look. Gray eyes narrowed in irritation, Allen decided he'd wait until after this little get-together to ask Cat what was wrong.

Leverrier finally began to speak, his obnoxious voice echoing off the stone walls in the room they currently stood in. "This is Sol Faolan, and he came to us admitting he was an Innocence wielder. He had been expressively been checked by the Order and by Hevlaska, and it would seem that what he says is true. Now he shall join the Order as a full-fledged Exorcist." While the man said that, it was obvious Sol hadn't been considered a true member yet since he still wore a tan cloak, light brown pants, and scuffed brown boots. Overall, he looked very plan and every part of him blended into one brown mass, but that would change. Soon he would be adorned with the cross of the Order in either an over-the-shoulder cover or a black jacket.

Sol's oddly colored eyes scanned the Exorcists, not even looking mildly impressed with any of them. Maybe the Generals looked a bit formidable – okay, scratch Tiedoll out – but the rest of them looked rather worthless to the boy. Noticing a black-haired boy seemed to be staring at him with much the same look, Sol straightened himself a little bit, his dominant side coming out.

These people would soon learn that he hadn't come here to help them whatsoever.

As Leverrier gave the signal that this meeting was over, others like Lavi and Lenalee immediately went up to Sol to talk to him. "So what kind of Innocence do you have?" Lenalee asked, a pure smile on her face.

"Yeah, is it Parasitic or Equipment?" Lavi chipped in, grunting when Timothy pushed him slightly to see the new guy.

The brown-haired boy merely stared at them, probably questioning their intelligence. Remaining silent, he listened as they continued talking to him and asking questions as if he were responding. Feeling his eyes wandering to the girl in the black shirt, Sol briefly wondered why she had looked stunned to see him. Had they met somewhere, along their individual travels, or was his appearance just shocking? Yet the thought lasted only a brief moment before he finally got away from the crowing idiots and headed to the door.

"Oh yes, if you'd like Tiedoll you may teach Sol." Komui's voice made the boy stop dead in his tracks and he whirled around, baring his sharp canines. The General looked pleased, but both men looked startled by the boy's sudden movement.

"I already learned all that I needed to from my previous teacher. I don't need any help from the likes of you," he spat, eyes narrowed dangerously. Without waiting for a reply, he pushed open the door and stalked right past Marie and Miranda, who had already been leaving to go train together. They both watched Sol's back for the moment as he went down the hallway before turning a corner sharply and disappearing completely from sight.

"That boy has issues," General Cloud said without much surprise evident in her voice.

…X…

As everyone began to break up into groups, either chatting about their plans for the day or about Sol, Allen latched on to Cat and nearly dragged her out into the hallway. More then once the girl would snap and ask him where they were going, but they finally stopped in one of the training rooms where no one was in sight. Turning around to look at her, Allen raised one eyebrow questioningly. "So what was wrong with you? You took one look at Sol and freaked out." There was concern hidden in his voice, and Cat didn't fail to pick up on it. Not quite sure herself, she waved one hand dismissively, as if it were nothing. Not accepting the gesture, Allen reached out to grab her arm and ask her again when a grunt made them both turn around.

There stood Sol, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His right eye was open and looking towards them with mild interest, his gaze both surreal and unnerving. "I too would like to know why you looked like you knew me. Have we met before, girl?" By this point Sol had gotten back his feet and was walking towards them, making Allen want to stand between the two. He could already smell a fight brewing.

"I don't ever remember meeting you," Cat said in a defensive tone, failing to tell him she did recognize his strange eye color. Something about his eyes...she didn't like how exactly those eyes haunted her. Ten minutes of knowing the teenage boy and Cat already found that his personality pissed her off greatly.

"Then why the odd look?" Sol growled, taking another step in her direction.

Cat wanted to meet his challenge head on, but Allen held out his arm, preventing her. Sol narrowed his eyes at the younger boy, angered that he would even think about stepping in between them.

"Oh, so you need a guard dog, huh? Is that how incapable you are at fighting?" Sol then sneered, which only earned him a loud roar and a black wolf sailing at him a moment later. Barely dodging, the boy did a hand spring backwards to put some distance between himself and the black wolf. Grimacing at the four tears through his cloak, his eyes widened when he looked back at Cat. Standing there, the black wolf was in possession of two bright blue eyes that boiled with rage, but hidden behind that were eyes that had seen far too much. Hollow yet expressive at the same time…he swore he'd never forget those eyes. Briefly considering activating his Innocence and striking the she-wolf dead right then and there, Sol Faolan decided against it and retreated for the time being. Looking over his shoulder before he walked back the way he came, he offered a small smirk. "So the Order really does have a guard dog…I just got the wrong person."

The wolf took a step forward, but transformed again after the boy walked away. Standing there, she frowned, unhappy with the current situation. Why did she always seem to make more enemies than she did friends? Shrugging to herself, she flinched when Allen's hand landed on her shoulder in a comforting manner. Making an odd noise in the back of her throat, the wolf knocked his hand away and went right, instead of straight where Sol had.

Thoughts clouding her mind, Cat knew one thing; she had to find out why she knew those golden eyes.

…X…

_Heaven's not enough  
if when you get there  
just another blue  
and heaven's not enough  
you think you've found it  
and it loses you…_

…X…

And so ends the crappy first chapter! It gets better, trust me. –chuckles-

Yes, Sol has already figured out how he knows Cat, but it takes the girl a little longer.

Next Chapter: Soon everyone begins to dislike Sol and he becomes the odd man out.

Yet when a new Komurin goes on the rampage, he finally shows his Innocence and the true power he wields.

-PA


	3. Angry Angel

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Yay for the second chapter, right?

Finally you get to find out a bit about Sol's Innocence, even though it wasn't much of a wait.

Mwahahaha! Enjoy, my dear friends!

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Angry Angel

Imogen Heap

…X…

"So help me Komui, I am going to castrate you, _then_ kill you!" The chief of the England Branch of the Order was practically cowering behind his desk in fear as a brown-haired girl towered over him. Leaning over the desk with her two hands supporting her, Cat offered a soft growl at the man. Right as she opened her mouth again, Reever appeared around the corner and called out without realizing what was going on.

"Chief, we need you down in the lab- oh, hello Cat!" Finally noticing the imposing wolf, Reever instantly disappeared, not wanting to get involved any further. Cat turned back around to grab Komui when she noticed that he suddenly wasn't there. Roaring out loud, she spun around right as Komui disappeared in the direction Reever had also gone.

"Fucking bastard," she swore right as a few Finders passed. They offered her strange looks and she stalked towards them. "What, never heard an angry woman curse before?" Immediately those three took off down at the hallway at inhuman speed, not quite wanting to be on the sharp end of the proverbial stick.

"Pansies; every last one of them!

…X…

"Hey Cat," Allen said as he sat down across from her with a pile of food. Licking his lips, he began to merrily munch away until he heard the girl sigh. She was staring down at her cup of coffee with mild interest and seemed to be thinking hard about something. Noticing the ghost of anger pass through her eyes and her grip tighten around the mug, he gently placed one hand on top of hers. She looked up with a questioning stare, but at least her hand let go of the glass mug. "I don't really recommend crushing that glass cup in your hand; it'll hurt and there will probably be blood."

The wolf chuckled slightly, glad he could put her in a better mood most of the time. "Yeah, I guess. I think poor Jerry would be a bit annoyed if I broke his cup, although people break things of his everyday of the week." Patting his hand lightly in response, she offered him a genuine smile. "Thanks Allen…"

"Anytime," he replied before gorging himself with food yet again.

Cat sat there watching him for a few minutes more before finally standing and walking away, leaving the boy to stare after her. Cat rounded the corner though, walking through the long hallway past many people, some of which offered her a smile or a wave, while some people just flat out ignored her. The girl really didn't mind, seeing as she didn't acknowledge a lot of people herself. Being a lone wolf in many ways, the brown-haired girl was often by herself when at the Order, possibly reading or training. Yet when the girl was with her friends, she was mostly vibrant and vocal, and always ready for anything. At the moment though, she was mulling over the new arrival to the Order, and wasn't quite sure what to think of him.

Sighing, she decided she'd deal with the problem at a later date.

Suddenly hearing screams and a very mechanical noise, the girl paused and felt her eyes widen before narrowing again in anger. "And no longer is the world safe…at least my little corner of it." Her grumbles became a guttural noise as she transformed and rushed forward. The black wolf knew that it wasn't a true emergency, in the sense of the word…it was more of a 'shit happens' kind of situation. Yet behind the panicked shouts and loud crashes, the sound of nails on chalkboard resounded as Cat skidded suddenly to make a sharp turn. Scrambling backwards, the wolf gasped when she noticed that she was about to run straight into one of the legs of Komurin.

"Holy…!" The wolf swore aloud as she twisted away. The robot now had its sight set on Cat while she was busy looking for help. A tiny wolf just couldn't take the damn thing down as easily as one might think. Sure, she could go into her third form and tower over even the large machine, but she was sure to damage the building even more.

"This is not in my job description!" She hollered to no one in particular as she continued to race down the hallway, wishing that she hadn't bothered to come and see what had happened. Slamming into a wall and then proceeding to go left from there, the girl realized all she was doing what leading the monstrosity right in a circle towards the cafeteria. _Well shit… _Her mind inwardly spat since she no longer had a choice. It was either continue to lead the beast to the heart of the Order (or what seemed like its heart, at least) or turn around and face it.

Without throwing caution to the wind for once, the wolf continued to run forward, not in the mood to risk her tail fighting Komurin. Let some other simpleton handle it, Cat thought slyly. As soon as she could find a dark corner to huddle in, then she would no longer be involved…right?

As the hallway leading to the cafeteria came into view, the wolf howled a warning, although she was certain any fool with ears could hear Komurin coming from a mile away. When Komui built these damned contraptions they were always huge and problematic. If it wasn't coffee that set the damn thing off, it was some other quirk the man had somehow managed to program in.

Leaping over the small walls into the cafeteria area, Cat winced as her face planted right into a table and was then tossed into a nearby wall because of the wind Komurin produced as it stopped short. Shaking herself, the black-furred mutt looked up to see a couple of Exorcists like Allen and Kanda stand to face the damnable machine. Flicking one ear instinctively, her gaze went to the left where Sol sat, looking rather irritated while he was trying to sip on some kind of drink. "Had I known these fools would be this disruptive and destructive, I would have never come."

What came next surprised the wolf and the other inhabitants in the café.

Sol stood up from where he sat and poised his hands as if he were shooting a bow and arrow. The girl thought he had honestly lost it for a moment before the silver ring on his right hand, etched with blue markings, began to glow eerily. A bow and arrow suddenly materialized out of thin air, and they were the real thing; no structures of light or magic, but a real wooden bow and arrow.

The bow appeared to be made from fine wood and had the same strange blue markings as the ring Sol wore. The arrow was simple enough, with a metal head that seemed dangerously sharp. Pulling back on the arrow with it placed carefully between his index and middle finger, Sol barely concentrated on his target before firing, effectively hitting Komurin and even piercing the metal beast in the eye. It roared like a feral creature before twisting around madly, as if yet another malfunction had occurred.

Grunting with annoyance, Sol's bow and arrow disappeared and a double-bladed, silver sword appeared. This too contained the strange markings, which to Cat looked like a cross between a mere pattern and an ancient language. Leaping forward, the boy shot forward and quickly dispatched of Komurin's legs, causing the body to clunk to the ground. Switching the fearsome blade to his left hand as he slid past Komurin's side, he carved a clear path through the metal and wires within. Finally, right as the amber-eyed boy got a safe distance away, the machine made awful grinding noises before creating a small blast like that of an Akuma.

It was still and silent for several minutes as people picked there way around, surveying the damage. Komurin was now a heap of charred metal that was ready to be sent off to a junk yard somewhere. Sol stood there glaring at the robot before turning away and leaving the cafeteria by the normal doors, ignoring the gaping hole in the right wall and the incredulous stares of other people all together.

Cat transformed back into her human form, only to find that she favored her left side in particular. Bumping into a wall with her right side hadn't been that kind to her, but sailing into another wall with her left side was even worse. Shrugging it off for the moment she rolled her shoulders and walked towards a bewildered-looking group of Exorcists.

"An arrow and a sword that can slice through metal like butter? That's some serious stuff right there!" Lavi was squawking at Allen's side, before telling the boy not to use his Innocence in a fight against Sol any time soon.

"And why would you say that?" Allen asked, a tad bit offended. Sure, when he Innocence was activated it was like metal, but surely Sol's sword couldn't slice through his own, right…?

Lavi wiggled his one visible eyebrow at the boy. "Well, when you first came here Kanda did a number on your left arm, didn't he? If Sol took a slice at your arm, I would bet that he might do even more damage!"

Allen opened his mouth to retaliate some more when Kanda interrupted him. "You think that brat's sword is stronger than mine?" The samurai gripped the hilt of his sword like he'd just love to prove Lavi wrong by carving him up into a rabbit-filet. The red-head said nothing and backed up a step with a nervous smile.

"Since it had two forms from what we saw, do you think Sol's Innocence can take even more forms that just those two?" Miranda asked from where she stood beside Marie and Bookman. No one was really sure and Lavi was about to announce that they should just go and ask him outright until Komui's wail pierced the air. Everyone seemed to wince as the man came in before falling to his knees in front of his creation. He started sobbing uncontrollably and whining about the cruel people who destroyed his baby. Finally someone corrected him though, and told him Sol was the only one involved. As if suddenly pleased by the realization of whom the culprit was, Komui stood, his tears gone and replaced with a glint in his dark brown eyes.

"I'll make another Komurin to avenge this one!" He announced abruptly before stalking off in the direction of his office.

Hearing the other Exorcists and even other people chatter excitedly, Cat turned her back on them and left, not really in the mood to talk. She had left the café in hopes of finding some place to think, and instead now all she had was a sore side. Grumbling under her breath, the girl nearly slammed right into the offending boy. She opened her mouth to fire an angry retort at him when Sol merely side-stepped her and continued walking.

"What, too much of a coward to even look me in the eye?" Cat challenged his retreating back, and smirked when he froze, his muscles tensing up as if preparing for a fight.

"No," he drawled slowly, "I just don't find the need to talk to such a worthless half-breed such as you." That said, Sol continued to walk away, radiating waves of intense anger. He was annoyed with his new found 'comrades', and almost wanted nothing more to do with them. Unfortunately he had made the choice to come here, and now he had to live with that decision. The Order was never keen on having a defected member, and the umber-haired boy knew of the consequences that followed that rogue for the rest of their life.

If there was one thing he knew better than to do, it was to go back on his decisions.

Cat stood there, her head tilted slightly and eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. So the boy had already heard from someone else that she wasn't a pure-blooded wolf? It did sting her a little, even though she thought she had gotten over that notion years ago. Yet in that time since the last fool had called her a mutt to this day, no one else had dared to say anything like that to her face. Now she fretted over the thought, recalling unwanted memories from her past. Sighing, the girl pivoted on her heel, glancing back at Sol with one sad, somber eye before she began to walk away herself.

Why did it seem that they would never be friends?

…X…

_Over and over again, more and more for the pain  
to release himself, from this shell  
Time after time, you may glare at  
him for the way he looks like something drawn up from Hell..._

…X…

Well, there you have it! You guys read DGM chapter 202? It got me excited!

By the way, Happy New Years! :D

Anywho, thanks for reading, and reviews are appreciated! -throws love your way-

Next Chapter: Cat, Allen, Lavi, and Sol are all stuck on a mission together…

Why does that seem to already spell disaster for the four…?

-PA


	4. Rain

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Well, this chapter was SUPPOSED to be happy-go-lucky, but turned depressing. Thus the song choice.

-sweatdrop- I must apologize for that, but hopefully you'll enjoy it nonetheless!

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Rain

Bishop Allen

…X…

Prancing about like a merry little fellow, Lavi was more than happy to once again be going on a mission with two of his good friends. He chirped and chattered with Allen and Cat as they waited for the fifth member of their posse, not really minding that Sol hadn't come yet. Perhaps the boy had gotten lost, coming down to the waterway tunnels, or maybe he was just taking his sweet time. Whatever the case, while Allen and Cat were annoyed, the red-head was content for the time being.

"Would you shut up, please?" Cat hissed quietly, cupping her ears with her hands at the boy's loud voice. Undeterred, Lavi continued to crow at the girl in what he claimed was his 'beautiful singing voice'.

"Silence!" The girl admonished, one word closer to pushing the boy into the channel and claiming he tripped. "If you say one more word-!"

"You'll what? Kill him?" Sol's unimpressed voice made Cat's icy glare turn to him, relieving Lavi of the harsh stare for the time being. The wolf crossed her arms over her chest and tapped one foot, signaling impatience. The Finder that stood near the boat, waiting for the Exorcists to get in where he could take them to their destination sighed, which only earned a look from the agitated girl. Straightening himself and swallowing the lump in his throat, the Finder suddenly wished he was elsewhere.

Snorting suddenly, Cat twisted around and leapt onto the boat neatly, looking back only to give the four incompetent males a withering look. "Shall we?" She asked, voice laden with sarcastic annoyance. Watching as they grudgingly joined in her in the boat, the girl remained standing, almost blocking the poor Finder's view of the waterway ahead as he slowly paddled them out of the tunnel.

Allen looked up at the girl, and was able to see a slight portion of the side of her face. Her eyes were set determinedly, although her eyebrows were scrunched up in what seemed to be either worry or concern. Was she wary of Sol's ability in his first mission? She had seen what he did to Komurin only yesterday, they all had. Frankly, the white-haired boy had been shocked at first by the brown-haired boy's skills, but when reflecting on them later, was rather impressed. Maybe in a bout of a friendly gesture when they returned, Allen could ask the boy to train with them, and learn some more moves for his own fights.

"Take a picture; it'll last longer," a merry usagi suddenly whispered in Allen's ear, making the boy jump and rock the boat ever so slightly. Lavi snickered as Allen sent him a death glare, and even Cat looked back to see what the commotion was about. Sol merely rolled his eyes and placed his chin atop the palm of his hand as he watched the swirling waters.

He really wasn't interested in the lives of others.

…X…

"For the love of-" A black wolf was currently crouching low, her tail swishing back and forth as her eyes darted around, counting the number of enemies they had left. So many Akuma had randomly popped out at the group of five, and it was the girl's job to protect the seemingly useless Finder. Unfortunately one of the Earl's creations had bypassed her and shot the Finder once, allowing the poison to crawl like fire through his veins until he crumbled to dust.

Spitting at the ash-like remains of the dead fool, the wolf flew over them as she launched another series of attacks against the enemy.

The simple Level One Akuma stood no match against the four Exorcists, and soon their numbers were near none. Sol was handling himself quite nicely, shifting between the bow and sword forms of his Innocence with ease. When he wasn't shooting the arrows inscribed with strange markings, the sword with the same scrawls showed the light dancing off of it as it sliced through the machines. Lavi's hammer was the one taking out more of the Akuma than anyone else thanks to its large size, and Cat seemed to be equally matched with Allen's Edge End.

Finally it was Sol who shot an arrow into the last Akuma, and the four stood around, slightly out of breath and sweating with the effort of their fight. Allen quickly called out to the Finder, in which Cat huffed in an odd way and pointed with her nose to the already depleting pile of sand the man had turned into. Lavi frowned deeply while Allen gritted his teeth, angry that they couldn't protect the innocent man from harm. Sol merely turned his back and pointedly ignored the others, not particularly caring for the Finder from the very beginning.

"Don't you have a bit of decency?" Allen snarled when Sol demanded they push onwards or just flat out go home if they felt so defeated already. The silver-haired boy was gripping the collar of Sol's shirt, and the boy was staring back with disdain.

"It's not my fault the fool died. Maybe you should blame the wolf, since she was the one who was protecting him." There was a moment of silence before a sardonic grin plastered itself on Sol's face. "Whoops, guess she _didn't_ protect him, huh? Seeing as he's dead and all." With that said, Allen shoved the boy to the ground, briefly debating whether or not to kill the older boy and blame it on the Akuma. However, he knew the Order was too smart for that kind of deception, and he really didn't want to be held responsible for the moron's death.

A hand as soft as a feather lighted on Allen's shoulder, snapping him out of his dark thoughts. "Allen," Cat warned quietly, her voice even but also betraying a hint of something else. Whatever the hidden emotion was, Allen couldn't place his finger on it, and didn't try to. He felt drained even as is, without playing guessing games.

"Fine," he snapped, stepping away from Sol and allowing him to stand. Lavi merely stood off to the side, his emerald eye taking it all in silently while his arms were crossed behind his head.

Even though the Order was built on a foundation of camaraderie, it was still hard to come by at times.

As Cat transformed, her vibrant azure gaze pierced Sol down to his very core, a warning of what was to come and what was left unsaid. Sol's own golden orbs met hers for a brief moment before the wolf turned her back on him. The boy really wasn't discouraged, but knew that if he continued to piss the she-wolf off, he might come to regret it later. However, Sol allowed himself a small smirk; he knew that he angered and upset people quite frequently.

He just didn't particularly give a damn.

When the strange boy moved forward to walk alongside Lavi, he made a disgruntled noise at the sight of Cat and Allen, wolf and human, walking side-by-side. "I'm convinced that those two are more than just friends. It's rather disgusting actually, to see the look in their eyes when they look at each other." The venom in Sol's voice surprised Lavi, who looked over at the younger male with one wide eye.

"Are you jealous, Sol?" Earning a rather arrogant snort, the red-head's suspicion grew even more.

"No," Sol answered simply, "I think that they're just completely stupid." There were a few minutes of precious silence, and Lavi thought that the conversation was over until Sol decided to speak yet again. Fists clenched and teeth gritted, his narrowed, angry, amber eyes were practically accusing the ground of some heinous crime. "Besides, that wolf doesn't deserve happiness; only death awaits her."

Surprised by Sol's apparent animosity towards Cat, Lavi dared to glance back up towards the wolf, which seemed to have appeared not to have heard anything. Though she acted like she didn't hear any of the words that transpired between the two, Cat really had indeed heard everything, and felt rage boil up within her. She had worked hard to get where she was at, and now that Sol was around it seemed like he was getting in her way. She could handle insults, with that quirky little smirk of his plastered on his face, but one whiff of the boy's scent alerted the girl to his growing frustration. Now she was more than annoyed, and wanted to do nothing more than turn around and snap at the fool and ask him what his problem was. Sighing, she lowered her eyes to the path in front of her, watching as her paws struck the ground with the claws digging into the dirt with each step.

Hearing her sigh, Allen looked down at his canine companion. "It's not your fault, you know. Things like that happen…" His voice was tight, with his eyes set hard, and Cat didn't fail to notice that. She knew he thought she was disturbed by letting the Finder die, but she already had pushed it to the back of her mind. What good would it do her if she dwelled on the past?

Almost chuckling softly, the girl knew that while she thought that, she just couldn't follow through.

Lifting her head to allow the rays of the golden sunset dance with yellow and pink hues across her pelt, Cat thought about her life in the pack. So many wolves had chosen to stay in their animal form, rather than remaining human. Was it because Arashi had soiled their minds with so many derogatory comments about humans, and they didn't want to be like what the old Alpha described? Or perhaps was it because they truly cherished their wild forms, and wanted nothing more to do with their human side?

Tilting her head slightly, Cat thought about it as she found herself beginning to trail behind Allen, and soon even Sol and Lavi. Dragging her paws like they were made of stone, a frown found its way on to her muzzle when the girl knew she had the answer.

If she had to choose between staying human or becoming a full wolf…she'd choose to be a wolf.

The three males stopped and looked back when they realized Cat had come to a complete halt, her blue eyes uncertain. Calling out softly to her, Allen wasn't able to capture the girl's attention. Instead, whatever occupied her mind continued to make her look somewhere else with a far-off gaze.

Sol was about to open his mouth and reprimand the stupid mutt to get a move on it, but never got the chance to before she spoke quietly.

Tone wavering slightly, and very nervous, the wolf's tail drooped right down to the ground as she spoke. "I want to be a wolf."

At first, the three were confused, and even Sol paused to think about what she said.

"What do you mean?" Allen asked, taking a step forward, eyebrows scrunched together. "You are a wolf, Cat. You're standing there, completely wolf!" The worried look on his face had Sol doing more than just a double-take as he tried to understand the real meaning of what Cat had said. It was such a broken and defeated tone, and he was wondering if the girl suffered from random mood chances. Night was falling, and Sol wanted nothing more then to go to the next town, rest, make their report over the phone, and then get the hell out of the middle of nowhere. Yet the girl's odd attitude was causing a delay in their plans.

Suddenly, Sol understood the girl and her words.

"Oh, so you'd rather be a wolf than human, eh? Fine by me; who needs a worthless mutt who's barely capable of taking care of herself? If you want to be a real wolf so badly, why don't you just remain in that form and go run off and be free in the forest? I mean, really!" Feeling his anger rise to the surface upon thinking of the wolf that stood before him, who killed his mother and brother, and helped the other damnable creatures kill the rest of the villagers, he wanted to _destroy something_. "You fucking bitch, do you not know how many people would kill to be free of this life? One easy way is death, although you fight tooth and nail to protect yourself and your damned friends. So instead of possibly going and jumping off a cliff, you'd still like to live and go run around merrily in the forest?" Clenching his right hand, Sol felt the burning desire to activate his Innocence and kill the girl. Yet he couldn't…he wanted to wait to savor the moment when he had the chance to end Cat's life. It might have been a sadistic side of him, but it was one that he enjoyed reveling in nonetheless.

Allen opened his mouth to yell at Sol, and ask him how he dare even say such things to Cat. Yet when the boy turned his freezing glare to him, words left him, and Allen was left feeling stunned as the brown-haired boy started to walk in the direction they were originally headed in. The wolf had raised her head to stare at the boy with defiant eyes, also wanting to argue with him. But as soon as the boy disappeared from sight, it was like the tension was released and Cat lowered her hackles. She started to pad forward, a bit more purpose in her step.

"Cat…do you really want to stay a wolf?" Allen called after her as he and Lavi began to follow.

Without turning back, Cat answered him. "I would love to remain a wolf, but that dolt gave me a reminder of why I am indeed more human than canine. I have to protect all of you, and even myself, at least until this war with the Earl is over. Even then, who is to say how I'd really feel about the matter? People can change, as quick as the seasons, or as slow as a lifetime. It all depends on what you keep at the forefront of your mind."

Mildly impressed by the quick change in the girl's determination, Lavi clapped his hand against Allen's shoulder. "Don't worry about Sol or Cat; we all have to fight our inner demons sooner or later. Actually, I think those two might be rather helpful to one another. They can keep reminding each other why exactly they do what they do, and push each other forward when they dare to peek back at the past. We all do that, right, and we all need someone to help us out." The red-head's smile could only comfort the cursed boy to a certain degree, though.

If Cat needed someone, then why wasn't _he_ that person?

…X…

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts~" Lavi sang to annoy his two roommates, and possibly even the wolf girl in the room right next door. He was happy to see a bed again, even though it had only been a few days that they had gone without that comfort. He relished in simple pleasure like that everytime he could though, all because his life had been less than pleasant. For so many aliases, the boy seemed rather content to remain simply as 'Lavi'.

"Hey, let's go down and get some chow!" The hammer-wielder pushed when Allen and Sol remained quiet except for the occasional time to yell at him. Lavi didn't mind though, and took it in stride, all because he wanted the other two to forget their anger with one another, and with Cat. Sensing nothing but arctic attitude spreading through the room, the boy clucked his tongue. "If you two don't want to join me, then I'll be more than happy to go ask Cat to go eat and enjoy a nice, quiet, _romantic_ date with the girl."

Only Allen seemed to be perturbed by that train of thought, and Sol wanted nothing more than to be left in peace. Finally Lavi had one hand wrapped around Allen's arm, and waved at Sol with his other hand to wish their 'friend' goodbye. Upon slamming the door, the two males came face-to-face with Cat, who looked a tad annoyed. Before Lavi or Allen could even say anything, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mr. Snark isn't joining us for dinner?" With the way she had one eyebrow raised and how one foot tapped impatiently on the ground, Lavi found himself grinning.

"You would presume correctly."

A pleasant smile lit up the girl's face, and she grabbed the hands of the two boys. "Then what are we waiting for? I'm starving!"

"You seem to be in a better mood," Lavi commented slowly as they made their way down the stairs to the dining room. Only a couple of other people were eating their meals in peace there, and some looked their way as they entered. Cat's smile fell a bit, but she tried to remain optimistic.

"Well," she started as they sat down, "I was rethinking my priorities a bit." Blinking up at a young girl who appeared to take their order, Cat told her quickly what she wanted and waited patiently for the two male incompetents sitting across from her to order as well. When she knew there was no one in hearing range, Cat spoke again. "I decided that I need to think about others a bit more, and a little less about myself. When I said that I wanted to be a wolf this afternoon…I could easily say it was a moment of weakness for me."

Stopping herself again, Cat watched as the young blond-haired girl returned with drinks and set them down. Cat took an experimental sip of her water while Allen thanked the girl politely, making the girl blush slightly. Yet again, she disappeared, and confident she would not return for a little bit of time, Cat spoke slowly as she watched the water with mild interest as she twirled the glass around a little bit.

"So I think that I will try to ride out my internal storm while trying not to affect others with my own problems." With that said the girl nodded to herself and took another swig of water as Allen and Lavi contemplated their friend's word for a moment.

"That's good that you want to help others," Allen started, offering her a smile, "but whether or not we like it, we're going to drag others into our problem." Holding up his left arm, he didn't need to remove the glove or pull up his sleeve to remember the deformed arm that sat hidden underneath. His thoughts then took him to Mana. If the man had never taken Allen in, Allen would have died out on the streets, most likely, and Mana might still even be alive. It saddened the boy to think that he was the cause of strife for others, but he knew that a human couldn't go through life without hurting others; it was inevitable.

Lavi suddenly poked Allen's hand with a fork. "Yes, this is why we all need to help each other through the rough patches." Something in his voice reminded the two of Sol, and while Allen felt a hint of irritation, Cat just pondered the boy's attitude. He knew her, but for the life of her, Cat could not remember him. Sure, those molten pools of golden eyes reminded her of something having to do with the scent of fire around her and the taste of blood on her maw, but besides that, she couldn't place him anywhere. Swearing to herself that she would try harder to stop thinking so hard about such things, the girl practically smiled ear-to-ear when she noticed that food was headed their way.

Allen watched the girl's face light up, and he felt his own facial features soften.

It was days like today that reminded him why he was an Exorcist.

…X…

_Oh, let the rain fall down  
and wash this world away  
Oh, let the sky be gray  
'Cause if it's ever gonna get any better  
its gotta get worse for a day…_

…X…

There, a bit of a longer chapter. 6 pages, in fact. Happy, guys? :3

Anyways, sorry that this story – and the characters – are so bipolar.

But hey, the story writes itself, so what can I say? ;3

Next Chapter: Male bonding…yeah right.

Allen and Sol do some practice fighting, and the Exorcists find out how much a jerk Sol is.

-PA


	5. Prayer of the Refugee

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Ah, Sol's such a mean bully, isn't he? I know a lot of you don't like him…

But we can't like 'em all, can we? ;3

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Prayer of the Refugee

Rise Against

…X…

Sol padded through the hallways of the Order while many were still asleep, not really wishing to see anyone at the moment. Sure, there were a few crazy insomniacs and those who were being run ragged here and there, but it was mostly quiet. Sighing, the boy looked around, still trying to figure out the layout of the building. It had only been two and a half weeks since he had joined the Order, and he had a rather lousy memory when it came to memorizing directions.

Regardless of that though, there was an inner force he had that always seemed to point him in the right direction when he desperately needed an escape. And right now was one of those times, so, as per usual, Sol snaked his way through the cathedral until he came to some winding stairs that looked like they led up to the roof.

"Perfect," he whispered slightly. Sol wasn't keen on going outside, but if it was just the roof, then it would be fine. It also gave him a better view of the area without having to climb halfway up the mountainside. Now that would be a worthless trek, just to see the landscape, in Sol's opinion.

Finally making his way upwards, the boy was greeted with a slice of cold wind, making him unconsciously wrap his arms around his lithe frame. The umber-haired boy frowned, not happy that he was in nothing more than a loose-fitting black shirt, black pants, and socks. He really hadn't even bothered to put shoes on, which as his toes began to freeze, he found himself regretting that particular decision.

Shaking the irksome thoughts away, Sol moved forward away from the door and to the edge of the cathedral to his right that overlooked the ocean. Waves crashed against the cliff below, and his golden eyes studied it with mild interest. What idiot had built such a large building so close to the sea? If the weather got particularly bad, or if an earthquake hit, the church was more than likely to tumble into the sea and disappear for good.

Just like the boy's belief in a higher being.

Pounding one fist against the marble stone sharply, Sol's hair covered his eyes, leaving the only thing visible his teeth that were bared in a fearsome manner. He recalled how his mother and father took him and Lian, his brother, to church almost every Sunday, saying that they needed to listen to the lord's word. So many years in the future, it seemed like a total joke as the passages he once had to memorize for his mother's teachings ran through his head. He tried so desperately to shake the unwanted thoughts away, but they continued to swirl and fester like a disease. Finally lifting his face up to the dark night sky, Sol screamed up at it.

"If there's a god, then why do we still wage this war?"

With that said Sol turned around and slid down against the rock, trying to control his rapid pulse. It was one of those moments for the boy when he felt both defeated and angry, and wanted nothing more than to go hurt something or someone. Yet his anguish took over, and the boy sat there, head in his hands and legs pulled up. Finally moving his head to sit on his knees, a few tears slid down before he brushed them away quickly, as if he were afraid for someone to see them. With the chain reaction set off, Sol now could only remember the times with his master, the one who had taught him so many things. The man had been loud and brash, always pushing Sol to the very edge, but when it was all said and done, the man still had a kind streak.

His teacher's name was Zephyr Norin…

…X…

-Flashback-

"_Z-zephyr…I'm too tired to do this!" A young Sol complained, glaring up at the man who sat on a rock nearby, observing his young charge with hardened eyes. His legs were crossed, much like his arms, and the scars on his face stood out as the sunlight that filtered through the trees lit up his face. He was old and worn, but was certainly still an excellent fighter. Once upon a time, this man named Zephyr Norin was apart of a great army, though as to which one it was, he'd change every time he told tales of his times in battle._

_It hadn't been long after he retired that he got caught up in the world of Innocence, the Order, and the secret war they waged against the entity known as the Earl. Zephyr's first student, consumed by the loss of his sister, had been turned into an Akuma by the Earl. After that, the boy was killed by an Exorcist, and that Exorcist told Zephyr all about the Earl, the Akuma, and the like. Not long after that conversation when the Exorcist was about to return to the Order, they felt the pressing need to give him a piece of Innocence in the shape of a ring, and told Zephyr that he would one day find the person who would wield it. Now here Zephyr sat, watching the chosen boy complain about training so hard._

"_Are you a pansy, you worthless child?" The older man roared, angered by the boy's lack of integrity._

_Sol frowned deeply and stood back up from where he had been kneeling on the ground, panting. Holding up his arms as if to shoot a bow and arrow, the boy concentrated, calling on the last of his energy and strength until a bow and arrow appeared. Immediately shooting it off and hitting the target on the side, he swore loudly, earning a blow from a thrown rock in the side of the head. Concentration lost yet again, the bow disappeared and the boy rounded on his teacher. He opened his mouth to start yelling at his teacher, when the look on the man's face silenced him._

"_Once more," Zephyr said lightly, and something in his voice made Sol turn back around and face the target yet again._

_It was a simple painted target that hung on a lower branch of a tree. Several arrows stuck out of it already, and Sol stood opposite from it, a small river standing between him and that damned tree. Narrowing his eyes, he felt the call of his Innocence spread through his body slowly at first, but then suddenly it ignited like a wild fire. As soon as it felt like it had totally consumed him, Sol let loose yet another arrow, and watched with surprise as the arrow finally hit its mark._

_Wanting to jump up and down like an excited child, Sol spun around, a large grin on his face as he pointed out his accomplishment to his master. Zephyr merely sat there, nodding his head with a small smile on his face as satisfaction filled him to the brim._

_Obviously this child was made for at least a little bit of greatness._

-End Flashback-

…X…

"Hey Sol, how would you like to do a bit of training with me? We can even use our Innocence." Allen's attempt to converse with the boy wasn't going very well, but Sol still looked up from his steak meal with a hint of annoyance evident in his eyes.

Setting down the fork and knife, Sol took a deep breath, trying to remind himself that he needed to try and make 'nice-nice' with the fools that existed within the Order. "Very well," he answered simply, grimacing slightly when he noticed the excited expression on the silver-haired boy's face.

_Why did I agree to this?_

It wasn't long though before Sol and Allen stood across from each other in the regular sand pit training hall, with several other Exorcists watching. Cat was among them, leaning against the wall next to Sora, who looked rather excited. The girl with light-blue eyes was trying to get Cat to make a bet as to who would win, and to say the least the wolf wasn't interested in bets.

"Sora, I don't care who wins. It's nothing more than a spar." Sora looked her friend over, and took notice of her anxious state. She remembered that her friend had a knack for pulling her arms into her a bit when she was nervous, and her sharp eyes were calculating everything. It was natural for a timid, frightened wolf to do that, and whenever someone came into the room, Cat would straighten herself and stare down the person, her shoulders tensed as if preparing for a fight.

_Does she really not trust Sol that much? _Sora wondered briefly, before she felt the familiar buzz in the air as Sol and Allen both activated their Innocence. Both opting for the sword form of their Innocence, it was obvious that while Allen's sword was much larger, Sol seemed far more comfortable with the grip he had on it. He didn't waste time grasping the hilt with both hands and settling into a defensive stance, one leg back and his arms loose and waiting to strike. It seemed as if they were statues, waiting for the other to move, and their audience was waiting with baited breathes.

To Allen, the actions seemed so similar to when he preformed with Mana in the circus, or even when he just watched the other performers working their trade. He could already feel the wonderful adrenaline seeping through his veins, leaving a path of electricity in its wake. Usually he wouldn't get this pumped up over a simple spar, but something within told him that if he wasn't alert, he could get hurt. So he chose instead to listen to his instincts, rather than ignore them for once, hoping they were right.

Finally, Sol launched his attack.

Sparks flew as the two metal swords clashed, and the resounding music from the two clashing blades echoed through the room and even down the hallway. Allen gritted his teeth, struggling with the fact that he only had one hand to press back against Sol, while the expressionless boy used both of his hands to strike back. Separating, Allen decided not to wait for Sol to recover and rushed the nineteen-year-old, all with the intent to win this so-called 'spar'.

Sol really wasn't surprised by Allen's harsh movements, and slid to the side, twisting his spine in an awkward position for a normal person, but not for a skilled fighter. Feeling himself falling backwards anyways, he allowed momentum to carry him. Using the hand that wasn't occupied with his blade, it struck the sand before he flipped and landed neatly on his feat. Allen took a bit longer to recover as he lost his balance slightly in the sand, but was finally able to twist back around and slam his sword's sharp edge against Sol's own.

For several seconds they felt the blades quiver with effort, both trying to get the best of each other. Allen was finally able to turn the tables, having used his right arm the majority of his life, and sent Sol tumbling away. The blade instantly disappeared from Sol's lack of concentration, but the boy wasn't so quick to activate his Innocence again.

He knew that if he wore himself out early, it would be all over.

Cursing his lack of long-term power, Sol grunted as he felt Allen's boot connect sharply with his rib cage. Ignoring the throbbing pain though, Sol was able to skid around on all fours, before striking upwards, one hand curled around Allen's throat. The silver-haired boy winced but easily shoved his elder off, sending him back to the other side of the ring. Rushing forward and raising his sword to strike, he didn't even stop to think about Sol not being able to protect himself.

Cat called out to Allen, trying to get him to stop, but felt her hazel eyes widened when Sol suddenly met him in mid-air and used his right foot to strike Allen in his stomach and sent him flying backwards towards the wall. Before he even finished falling back or before Allen could hit the wall, Sol conjured up his signature bow to shoot one arrow. It snagged Allen's shirt above his right shoulder and actually managed to embed itself within the stone, leaving the boy hanging several feet up in the air.

Sol landed on his back and laid there for a moment, attempting to regain his breath before standing upright again, giving the struggling boy a disdainful look. Allen had deactivated his Innocence in favor of trying to pull the arrow out, and feeling rather sadistic, Sol summoned another arrow, pinning the boy effectively with his left pant leg as well.

"Next time you shouldn't be so foolhardy in battle," the umber-haired boy quipped before turning away and stalking out of the room. Sol could still feel a sharp pain in his side and in his back, and decided now was the time to go and nurse his wounds in private like a wounded animal. It reminded him of his days training with Zephyr, and it caused a deep frown to etch itself on his face. He was not pleased with the day's events, to say the least.

Back in the training room, Allen's friends were staring up at him as he struggled to yank the arrows out from the wall. He finally got the arrow above his shoulder out, but that only caused him to turn upside-down and scream in frustration. It wasn't long before he stopped fighting due to the rush of blood to his head. Lenalee was finally the one who had to fly up and had to wretch the second arrow out, allowing the boy to plop to the ground and lay there like a dead fish.

Cat leaned over him, her hands on her knees and an annoyed expression on her face. "You're pathetic, ya know that?"

"You fight him then!" Allen snapped, suddenly regaining energy before he slid back down and moaned quietly. He hurt all over; especially his head. The girl giggled and ruffled his hair slightly, which instantly lifted the boy's spirits a bit. He enjoyed the girl's company, really.

"Hey lovebirds, think you could take a brief hiatus while I kidnap Cat?" Sora teased as she grabbed Cat by the back of her shirt. Pulling the irate she-wolf back up onto her feet, the light-brown-haired girl waved at the gathered Exorcists and took off with her childhood friend. When they were finally gone from sight, Marie spoke.

"I don't understand women, but I understand Sol even less."

…X…

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Miranda asked with a small tilt of her head as she heard from Lavi what had happened during the match with Sol. Allen was sitting across from them, chewing on food with a rather peeved look on his face. Lenalee was also there, while Lavi was off bothering Kanda with the help of an enlisted menace known as Timothy. Bookman was probably off conversing with Tiedoll, and no one knew where Cloud or Winters were. Chaoji and Krory were currently off on a mission, so it was safe to say that things were rather slow-going at the moment.

It just seemed like there were so few missions as of late.

"Anyways, where do you think Sora dragged Cat off to?" Lenalee asked, blinking her violet eyes a few times.

Allen shrugged, annoyed that things just didn't seem to be going his way that day. "Who knows? I'm convinced that Sora tortures Cat whenever she's around." The boy could only imagine Sora grinning evilly and making her so-called friend do whatever the hell she wanted her to do. It practically sent shudders down his spine.

"If you call singing torture, then yes, that's what she does." The silver-haired boy froze when a hand settled on his shoulder and he felt a chin rest delicately on the top of his head. He could already tell that it was Cat, but wasn't quite sure if the girl was in a good mood or a bad one.

"Sora had you singing?" Lenalee asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. The girl nodded, bobbing her head against the boy's.

Allen finally lifted his head up to look at Cat, who stared back down at him. "Sora made you sing?"

"Yes," she huffed as she sat down on the bench, "in front of an audience. I wasn't quite pleased with it, but if it helps bring in money for the Black Howl Club…" She trailed off there, not really wishing to think about the past of when she worked there herself, several years back. Together she and Sora had found a new beginning, after the pack they had once belonged to was destroyed. She desperately tried not to think much about her past before the Order, but sometimes it just came back to haunt her. Shaking those morbid thoughts away though, she offered her three friends a large smile. "So, has Sol come down from his ivory tower, the princess that he is?"

Lavi laughed while Allen gave a bit of a more polite chuckle. "No, he's been on the roof or in his room since the spar. I guess he's wrapped up in his thoughts…"

"More like he's annoyed that you even managed to land a blow on him." Cat rumbled, a pleased expression on her face. Noticing Allen's crestfallen look though, she grabbed his hand and entwined his fingers with hers briefly, without even batting an eyelash. "Don't worry about loosing to him; we have to face defeats every now and again. I also believe that you're the better fighter."

The red-headed Lavi opened his mouth to make a smart-ass comment when Allen gave him a harsh glare. He immediately shut his trap and grumbled to himself. Lenalee smiled at her friends' antics and listened intently to Cat as she told them about all the songs she sang, who wrote them, and what inspired them. It was interesting to listen to the girl's lilting voice, and how bright she looked and sounded when talking about the trade. When she wasn't slaying Akumas or fighting the Earl or Noah, she was either bothering her friends or singing.

Who knew?

Cat finally yawned and stretched, lacking any interest in dinner that night. Allen was a bit of a doting mother hen when it came to that instance, but she waved the boy's concern away, saying that she'd be mighty hungry in the morning, so she might as well work up a good appetite. "Goodnight," she sang as she walked away from her friends to go to bed.

"Was it just me, or did she seem to be in a really good mood tonight?" Lavi asked, slightly stunned by such good fortune. Usually the she-wolf was after someone and threatening them – since it was usually a male – with castration.

Allen pondered Lavi's question. "Maybe it's just because she got to spend some time with Sora and got to watch me get my ass beat by Sol earlier today."

"Or maybe she's happy that we haven't had too many missions." Lenalee offered, before having the idea shot down by Lavi.

"Even though we haven't been called out on a lot of missions, it doesn't mean that the Earl and his creations aren't running around while leaving chaos and pain in their wake." While Lavi tried to remain up-beat and positive, he was still Bookman's apprentice, and still had his own dark moments, when he doubted himself or others. Right now was just one of those times.

The host to the 14th Noah glanced up at the windows that only produced pieces of dark night sky, and he sighed softly.

How much longer would this war carry on?

…X…

_Don't hold me up now,  
I can stand my own ground,  
I don't need your help now,  
You won't let me down, down, down!_

…X…

Well, there's the fourth chapter! I'm still loving it!

-chuckles- Sorry for having Allen getting beaten up by Sol. He'll return the favor, I assure you.

Anywho, here's the preview for the next chapter!

Next Chapter: Sol and Miranda go out on a mission together.

And when Sol's not killing Akuma, he's killing spirits!

(Poor Miranda!)

-PA


	6. Sakasama no Chou

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Aw, poor Miranda! D: Sol will regret his actions, I assure you!

Oh look, a JAPANESE SONG TITLE!

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Sakasama no Chou

Snow

…X…

Miranda sat opposite Sol in the small train, studying her fingers as if they were the most interesting things in the world. She was nervous being with the boy who seemed so cold-hearted and angry all the time. Frankly, he wasn't as bad as Kanda, since he often hid away from the rest of the world, but he could still be rather fierce. Miranda really didn't want to get on the boy's bad side, but to be honest, she was slightly angry with herself that she was so easily intimidated by children who were younger than her. She had been trying to get over her negative attitude, but having it for so long…it made it all the more harder to get rid off.

"Would you please stop staring off into space?" Sol had spoken without looking away from the window, and his chin still resting on his open palm.

"I'm sorry!" Miranda crowed, making the boy scrunch his eyebrows together. He didn't like people who apologized profusely for everything that they did.

"Don't you have some sort of back bone?" He snapped, turning his harsh gaze to Miranda, who couldn't help but stutter more apologies his way. Rolling his eyes, Sol turned his attention back to the passing scenery, wondering how on earth he had gotten stuck with such a nuisance. Thinking back to their meeting with Komui, it suddenly became rather clear to him…

…X…

-Flashback-

"_Sol, since you really don't seem to get along with anyone, I'll try you out with Miranda. Maybe she can teach you some manners!" Komui was wagging his finger at Sol, who really didn't give a damn, and barely listened to the annoying Chief. Why did anyone expect him to get along with others? He had learned a long time ago to not trust people, and he had totally lost his faith in humanity as a whole. If he didn't have the gift of Innocence, who knew what would have become of the boy?_

"_Whatever," the boy answered simply, eliciting a pleased noise from Komui. He knew that the Chinese man really didn't like him, not only for destroying one of his robots, but for also upsetting his sister. Yet Sol had no notion to even care; if people couldn't accept him for who he was, he just ignored their existence entirely._

"_Good." Komui said, shooing the two away upon briefing them of their mission. It was rather simple, really; get rid of some Akuma in a town up north, look for some Innocence, and then return home._

_What was the meaning of the word 'home' again…?_

-End Flashback-

…X…

As the train pulled to a stop, Sol waste no time in jumping off before it even came to a complete stop. One of the workers on the train snapped at him and some people waiting in the station whispered about the crazy boy. The Innocence-wielder blatantly ignored them though and started walking away, leaving Miranda to offer the worker an apology. She rushed to catch up to Sol, nearly falling and tripping on her face.

To say the least, it was not a good day for her.

"S-sol, would you slow down?" She huffed, her bag swinging to and fro as she finally caught up to him. Sol's pace was brisk, since he wanted to get this hellish nightmare over. In the long run, the older woman didn't receive an answer, and was forced to nearly sprint to maintain a close distance to the agitated boy. She could see why no one liked him, and was starting to have her doubts about him as well. Even though she tried to remain positive, there were still people who just couldn't be kind to others even if they wanted to.

Suddenly Sol stopped short, causing Miranda to slam right into his back. He growled at her sharply, annoyed by her late reaction time. The boy honestly didn't need to be worried about the woman when there were several Akuma coming their way. Sol really wasn't in the mood to have to defend while trying to be on the offensive. Thus the reason why he preferred working alone; he could care less if others got hurt, if they weren't of any benefit to him. So activating his Innocence, Sol decided that the only option was to take them out quickly.

"Stay out of my way," he warned dangerously to a confused Miranda.

He pointed his bow in the direction in which he felt the machines of war coming from. They were so predictable, their aura easily detected by any fool who was in possession of Innocence. It was rather sad, actually, that these Level Ones were so slow in their movements, but he wasn't their creator, now was he? "You're just a waste of time!" He spat as he shot several arrows off in rapid succession as soon as the monsters made an appearance from behind some trees.

Miranda instantly ducked behind the boy, not wanting to get in his way. She specialized in defense and in healing; she was pretty much useless when it came to fighting back. As much as she hated to admit something like that, it was nothing but the truth. Suddenly she felt the wind shift eerily and lifted her head to watch a patch of dark woods to their right. Sol was preoccupied, and didn't seem to notice the presence that was coming at them with incredible speed.

"Sol-!" The brown-haired woman wasn't able to bark out anything more than that before a Level Four came out of nowhere and tackled the boy in his side. Sol grunted, his face scrunched up as he was sent tumbling away, his Innocence disappearing with the hit. The Level Four stopped in mid-air and looked slowly over at Miranda, who was now kneeling on the ground and shaking with fright. If she couldn't fight, who was to say that Sol alone could take care of this beast?

Just as the Akuma made a move towards the shaken woman, Sol gave a dark little chuckle. The Akuma turned its head towards Sol, watching as he propped himself up on one elbow and used that hand to wipe blood away from the corner of his mouth. "This has to be a fucking joke…" Finally standing, Sol wasted no time summoning his silver blade. "The Earl dares send a Level Four here? You've got to be kidding me…"

The Level Four seemed unaffected by the boy's words, and slammed its hands together to shoot a strong wave of energy his way. Sol easily dodged though, and using his innate agility, he came up to the side of the creature and struck out with his sword. It barely grazed the monster's side, and it didn't even bat an eyelash before reaching out and wrapping its hand around the boy's throat. Sol struggled briefly before raising his sword and cutting off the Akuma's arm. He dropped to the ground and rolled away, watching with annoyance as the arm re-grew.

"Tch," he hissed, spitting some blood in his mouth onto the ground. He glanced to the side briefly and saw that Miranda was now huddled behind a tree, watching the fearsome battle between the two power houses. Miranda clasped her hands in front of her chest, praying that Sol would be okay, and that they could at least attempt a getaway. Yet with the look on the teenager's face, she had a sinking feeling that he would make it a fight to the death if need be.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?" The Akuma giggled. Sol whipped his head around and saw the little imp floating right in front of him, a light already starting to shine from its open hand. He barely managed to dodge in time, and charged the creature without so much as a second though.

He was determined to be the victor.

After getting pummeled a bit more, Sol finally had enough and switched his sword out briefly to put some distance between him and his opponent. He used a succession of hand springs to get several yards away, before jumping neatly onto his feet. He watched as the Akuma started coming towards him, and he summoned the bow and arrow yet again.

_It's times like these that made me wish I had more than just a sword and bow for weapons._

His amber eyes closed and he felt the familiar surge of power around him, not even focusing on the fact the Akuma was almost upon him. Finally some inner instinct within him snapped, and his eyes flew open as he released an arrow with a particularly strong burst of energy. It struck the Akuma square in the chest, creating a large hole in it. Not wasting any time, Sol's Innocence changed shape again and he plunged the blade into its forehead where the pentagram was etched into its metallic skin.

The Level Four screamed, causing Sol to wince in pain, but he remained firm with his feet planted on the creature's limbs until the last second, when it exploded. The boy was still sent sailing backwards and he skidded for many feet before coming to a rest, the dust cloud finally settling down where the Akuma had been only moments ago. As his Innocence deactivated itself, Sol fell back, just wanting to close his eyes and never wake up again. That fight had drained all of his power, something which hadn't happened for several years now. Breathing in deeply, the boy coughed a couple of times as dirt entered his lungs. He licked his chapped lips once, only to taste the same disgusting dirt as Miranda finally scrambled out from her hiding to crouch next to the boy.

"Let me heal you." She said while placing her right hand over the boy's chest before it was slapped away by one of his impertinent hands.

"Don't…need…your…help…" he hissed weakly, closing his eyes to the world. Miranda frowned deeply but activated her Innocence anyways, only wishing to help the stubborn child out. If there was one thing she hated, it was seeing others in pain.

"Don't die on me," she whispered brokenly, thinking back to the time when Lenalee and Allen had nearly sacrificed themselves to protect and save her. She owed them her life, but right now she needed to stay alive to help the living. Her Innocence in the form of a clock disk appeared on her right wrist, and she watched with slight satisfaction as the golden light surrounded Sol. It was enough to heal his wounds temporarily, but she couldn't take the wounds away forever. His time would freeze briefly, but after it was done with, the wounds would reappear and cause the boy to suffer yet again.

Miranda wasn't happy that she couldn't heal others properly, but knew that as long as she could do something, she had her place within the Order.

…X…

"I'll say that it's impressive that he managed to kill the Level Four by himself, but it was pretty damn reckless." Sora was sitting between Allen and Cat as she heard the story from the older woman. Miranda nodded once, not really in the mood to touch her food and eat.

"I knew he was an idiot," Cat decided as she crunched down hard on a piece of meat. Her pack mate chuckled for the smallest of moments, before turning her attention back to Miranda.

"You said you wanted to learn more about healing, right?" The woman nodded blankly. Sure, the nurses and doctors in the Order had told her a little bit, but it wasn't anything that would help a person in an emergency situation. Sora allowed a large grin to spread across her face, making Allen edge away from the girl instinctively. "Then I'll teach you about herbs and a couple of simple magic spells that can take care of small wounds. I'm afraid I'm not great at healing large wounds-"

Sora was interrupted as Miranda grasped the blue-eyed girl's hands. "Really?"

Sora gave another breathy laugh and nodded once more. "Yes, it's the least I can do for a friend."

Cat grunted her approval. "Sora became the Healer after our old one, Anaria died. She taught Sora a bit about herbs and the like, but I never knew that she taught her magic." The black she-wolf looked over at her friend, wanting an explanation. Sora grinned nervously, not quite sure how to tap dance around and go through the mines at the same time.

"Well…Anaria said that all Healers could use a bit of magic, like the Alphas could. I've never seen Arashi use magic though…"

"That's because he wasn't our true Alpha." Cat's narrowed gaze reminded Sora the fact that Cat's grandfather on her mother's side would have become Alpha, had he not lost. Black Star most likely would have taken over as Alpha later on or maybe even Yuki. Yet if that had happened, Cat wouldn't be sitting besides her, and history would have been so different. It was strange to think about the world, and what it would be like had certain people not existed. That was why Sora supported the theory that everything happened for a reason, and that everything was connected. Shaking herself though, the she-wolf tried to get away from her physiological side.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. It's sad that magic has pretty much died within the world. It's a real shame, isn't it?"

"As long as we're here, there's still magic in our hearts." Sora was taken aback by how soft and heart-felt her friend's voice was, and even Allen and Miranda looked surprised by what Cat had said.

Sora then flicked the younger girl in the head. "You're bipolar. Choose a mood and stick with it for more than just a few seconds, okay?" The only response she gained in return was a low growl in her companion's throat. She tilted her head and smiled softly, amused by Cat's antics; her friend was crazy, sure, but her attitude could usually bring out the best in people.

Yet at the same time, she could bring out the demons in others, which was a bad thing.

Standing, the light-brown-haired girl stretched her arms out and gave a bit of a bow. "Give my condolences to Sol, since I shall now be taking my leave. Miranda, I'll drop by tomorrow to give you your first lesson, okay? Ta ta for now!" After the other wolf had disappeared from sight, Miranda took her leave as well. Allen moved closer to Cat, having been pushed aside when Sora had popped in unannounced.

Having long since finished her meal, Cat leaned her head against Allen's shoulder as she breathed in deeply. "Sounds like someone's tired," he rumbled gently.

Cat yawned, exposing her sharp teeth. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'll be able to spend more of the day with you."

Allen frowned, knowing that he should have given her his news earlier. "Actually Cat; Lenalee and I are going on a mission tomorrow. I'm sorry."

Brown eyes flashed open, and she studied his face for a moment. She wasn't happy that he hadn't told her sooner, and that he was going to be alone with another female. _Gah, when did I turn into a jealous little girl? _Cat thought angrily at herself.

"Link will also be coming," Allen then said, with Cat almost missing that sentence completely.

"Ah," while Cat wasn't trying to be possessive, and felt sorry for the boy, she was also glad Link was going. Feeling the urge to slap her forehead, the brown-haired girl felt her eyelids droop a bit.

_Just be safe…okay…?_

…X…

_Feelings that don't want to become words exist_

_No matter how far people reach out their hands, an unreachable place inside of people exists_

_Because I love the inaudible thoughts of each and everyone_

_Even if they don't become something, they won't be changing on any day…_

…X…

Jealous Cat is jealous. XD

I really felt sorry for Miranda, but it was funny to see Sol get his ass beaten, eh?

Next Chapter: Allen, Link, and Lenalee go on their mission to search for Innocence.

Soon they run into Noah and a fight breaks out, leaving all three injured.

Until the next time~

-PA


	7. The Good Life

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Don't worry, after this chapter the missions calm down briefly, and I introduce a new character!

-coughs- Anywho, let's continue on, shall we?

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

The Good Life

Three Days Grace

…X…

Allen blinked at the man he stood in front of. Here he was in Brazil, where most of the population spoke Portuguese. It was a beautiful country, and the boy couldn't help but look around with bright eyes and a grin on his face. He had never been to South America before, since the Order rarely had missions out that way, but today was different. He could finally experience what another culture felt like, and he was enjoying it immensely. Yet of course when Allen tried to ask for directions, the man he was speaking to started spouting what sounded like something akin to gibberish.

"Allow me to take care of this Walker." The boy was about to ask the lap-dog known as Link how he planned to 'take care' of the situation, but he felt his jaw drop moments later when Link surprised him.

The blond-haired man was speaking Portuguese himself!

While trying to understand the universe and its strange, twisted logic, the boy failed to notice the girl who came to stand near him. Lenalee smiled at her friend's lack jaw and pointed out politely that he should close it. The gray-eyed boy did as he was told and grunted sharply when Timcanpy settled on his head. "Tim, stop that! You've too heavy to sit on my head anymore! Actually, it's been that way for nearly a year!" Allen then watched as the traitorous gold golem flew over to Lenalee's arms to be cuddled. "Stop coddling him like he's a spoiled child!" The boy hissed, embarrassed by all the weird looks the trio plus golem were getting.

The girl wanted to stick her tongue out at her companion, but refrained from doing so as Link came back. He coughed lightly, more out of habit than anything, which instantly interrupted the conversation between the two teenagers. "The man I just spoke to referred me to an old woman at the top of this valley. It would seem that we'll have to hike up there." He gestured to the large hillside, which appeared more like a mountain face than anything else.

Allen really wasn't thrilled by the prospect of dealing with nature in her element, but knew he had to suck it up anyways. He was shaken from his thoughts though when he realized the others were already several yards ahead of him.

"Wait up!"

…X…

When they finally arrived at the hut that belonged to their contact, they found a little old woman out front, sitting in the grass crushing plants up in a shell of some sort. It was nice and cool, the light mist cooling the travelers down as they went closer to the elder and her home. Not bothering to look up from her work, she spoke up in heavily accented English.

"What you seek does not reside within this immediate area."

Link stepped forward, as if to challenge her. "What do you mean?" After many more heartbeats of silence following his question, he repeated it more forcefully. In return, the woman merely pointed towards the east, her light brown eyes rising to finally meet the gaze of her visitors.

"Go towards the great river, and you shall find what you are looking for."

Several minutes later the three were padding through the forest towards the Amazon River. It was clear that Allen was very annoyed, and he couldn't help but open his mouth to complain some. "She tells us to go look along the Amazon for Akuma or whatnot, but she seemed to have not noticed that it's one of – if not the – longest rivers in the entire world!" He was grabbing his white hair now and tugging on it, but winced as Link allowed a branch to whip back and snap him across the face.

"Complaining will do you no good, Walker. And anyways, your left eye should let us know whether or not there are any Akuma nearby." The man's tone was very shot, clipped, and brusque, and he didn't sound too pleased by the thought of walking around on a wild goose chase either. He glared over his shoulder when he heard Allen continue to mutter to himself, and was mildly pleased when the boy finally silenced himself.

Upon several more agonizing minutes of walking, Lenalee spoke up, Tim still cradled carefully in her arms. "Don't you think that we would have been attacked already, had there actually been Akuma around? Surely they would have sensed our presence and come out…right?" Allen and Link stopped to look back at the girl while she spoke, her melodious voice open yet cautious. She wasn't sure if what she had said was right in her thinking, but it made sense to her in the long run.

Slowly, Link nodded while Allen spoke. "That does make sense…" he trailed off, wondering if perhaps there wasn't a threat anywhere close to them at all. Frowning though, he wondered if that elder woman had sent them to chase fairies, instead of the creations of the Earl. Yet as he began to feel a nagging sensation in the back of his head, he felt his left eye pulse strangely, sensing something not quite like the Akuma. Turning his attention back to the path they had been walking along, he strained his ears to hear the soft sound of rushing water. "Let's just go a bit further…" he said slowly while still managing to capture the rigid attention of both Link and Lenalee.

As he began to continue walking, Lenalee glanced at Link, who also looked rather suspicious. What had the boy sensed that they did not? Well, there was only one way to find out, and that was to follow him, to whatever lay in wait.

…X…

"Look, it's the Amazon!" Road's excited voice made Sheryl wince slightly, displeased by the girl's obnoxious attitude. He had his gloved hands shoved in the pockets of his pants, and the Noah was honestly beginning to wonder why he had agreed to this in the first place. Brushing a lock of black hair behind his ear, he warned Road sharply as she got too close to the water's edge. Sure, they were Noah, and had been gifted with superhuman abilities, but as Road's adoptive father, Sheryl felt it was his duty to protect the child in any way possible.

Even though she was rather sadistically fierce and could take care of herself.

"Piranhas!" The light-skinned girl chirped, feeling free in her white persona, just like how Sheryl was currently in his. She was leaning precariously over the water's edge, but didn't even listen to the other Noah when he warned her to get back. Ignoring her so-called 'parental figure', the girl continued to watch the swimming beasts with curious eyes. "…Can I have one?"

Sheryl had walked up to stand besides Road to look down into the murky water himself, when he heard his adopted daughter speak briefly. He turned his shocked expression to her, unbelieving that she wanted such a creature for a pet. It could have been worse, like the time when she had asked for a pet bear, but still…! "No," he answered solemnly, wincing when Road actually hit him the chest, sending him flying back a few feet. Sheryl was attempting to rise back up when he looked over towards the forest, only to see Allen's party standing there, watching with confused eyes.

"You…!" The Noah spat, anger filling him as he remembered all the times when the Exorcists had interfered with Lord Millennium's plans in the past. He was especially displeased to see the host of the 14th standing at the front, his gray eyes wide like an innocent child that had just seen an accident. His eyelids finally lowered some, as if the boy were attempting a menacing look, which practically made the older man laugh. Standing, he grumbled at the feeling of mud all along his nice gray slacks, but pushed that thought firmly out of his mind as he shifted to his black persona.

He was going to enjoy bringing Allen Walker's head to the Millennium Earl.

Without hesitating a moment more, Sheryl launched his attack, mildly entertained as the boy invoked his Innocence into Edge End and fought against the blow. It would be so easy to just turn him into a puppet and kill him inside out, but he wanted to revel in the feeling of killing the boy slowly.

Road, not one to miss out on all the fun, went after Lenalee and Link, who had dodged when the male Noah had charged them. Link's wrist blades appeared with a metallic clang and Lenalee activated her blood-red boots and soon all hell broke loose. While the member of CROW and the female Exorcist were struggling with Road and her sick, twisted ways, Allen was being knocked left and right by Sheryl.

Finally feeling the pressing need to be a bit more sadistic in his battle, the Noah sent Allen flying into the depths of the Amazon River, watching with gleeful entertainment as the piranhas that Road had pointed out earlier surrounded the boy. He cried out, trying to get the nipping creatures off of him, but failed to do so and screeched with rage when their sharp teeth began to embed themselves in his legs and sides.

Lenalee noticed her friend flailing around in the water, and immediately rushed to his rescue, not even pausing as the fearsome fish leaped out of the water in an attempt to grab her feet. The action proved to be futile though when their sensitive teeth were smashed against the harsh material of her shiny red boots. The piranhas fell back into the water and Lenalee grabbed Allen's outstretched hand and shot up into the air. Most of the monsters that were still attached to him fell off with the sudden impact with air, and their lifeless bodies began to pour down on the ground like rain.

Setting Allen back down, Lenalee acknowledged his thanks with the tiniest of nods before they both leapt back at their opponents to continue the battle. It waged on for nearly a half an hour, each side accumulating more and more wounds. Finally it seemed that Sheryl had Allen pinned when he froze as did Road. They gave each other a knowing look, and stepped back from the Exorcists. A door opened for the Earl's current Ark, and they entered it, Road throwing a displeased look over her shoulder as they did so to Sheryl. "It's not fair for the Earl to have stopped us! We nearly had them!" She growled, more than a trifle irked at their bad luck. The older Noah merely shook his head and shrugged, unsure of why their lord had done that either.

As the door closed and disappeared, Allen slowly rose, stumbling slightly from all the blood loss. He had been lucky that Lenalee had saved him so quickly the piranhas hadn't had much time to do any real damage, but the cuts littered all over his body stung fiercely, making him lean against his Blade of Exorcism. Link and Lenalee came over to his side, covered in wounds themselves, but it was obvious the boy was in worse shape. He grunted when Lenalee's feather-light touch hit a particularly sore spot on his rib cage. "Great, bruised ribs, just what I need," he hissed in-between pants. The dark-haired girl backed off briefly, unsure of how to help her friend.

Link sighed, knowing it'd take them awhile to get back, seeing as the young boy didn't seem to be in good enough shape to manage to control the Ark. "Walker, we'll try to get to the South American Branch headquarters and heal up there," the blond man informed the silver-haired teen, who cast him a withering glare.

"I can m-manage to work the A-ark…"

"I highly doubt it." Link stated, not in the mood to argue with someone so young and so stubborn. Yet with widened chestnut-colored eyes, the member of CROW watched as the boy did the impossible.

Humming a rough form of the familiar tune of the Ark under his breath, Allen gripped his sword tightly in hopes of focusing and channeling his power. Finally the ground beneath them rippled and a stark number sat beneath it, proclaiming their destination was the Order located in England. Once the door had been opened firmly and surely, Allen's scrutinizing glare met his watchdog's surprised eyes.

_Note to self: Allen Walker is a tenacious fool._

…X…

"What the hell happened to you guys?" Cat's anxious voice made Allen look up sharply, and the action only made him wince in pain. The brown-haired girl fell into step right in front of the trio who were being led to the infirmary by Reever and Johnny. Link was supporting most of Allen's weight, thanks to a particularly bad gouge on his right leg, and Lenalee was on Link's left. Walking backwards, Cat glanced back every now and again to make sure she didn't run into anything or anyone. Her lips were set in a tight line, and she clucked her tongue when Allen tried to offer a bit of a smile.

"I'm fine."

"You're not a very good liar any more, Moyashi," she warned softly. They made it upstairs but the wolf hung around while the two male scientists went off to go back to work. Cat sat on the edge of a bed, watching as Lenalee was taken to a separate room and Allen and Link were subject to the Head Nurse's anger. She nagged at them for getting wounded, which they took in stride, but both males paused when she told them to strip where they could be bandaged properly. The two males instantly looked in Cat's direction, and the girl tilted her head ever so slightly.

"Before you even dare to ask, no, I'm not leaving so strip away!" She teased, leaning back a big more on the bed, as if to be comfortable when the show started. Grudgingly the two men started to take off their clothes until they were left in nothing but their boxers. Link had turned his head away from the girl with a snort as he his wounds were swabbed with alcohol, but Allen sat there looking down at his hands, blushing. More than slightly amused and greatly entertained, Cat remained sitting there, her harsh stare bearing down on the two nervous males.

"Do you think you could leave?" Link finally spat, annoyed by the girl's presence.

"Make me," she retorted, eyes narrowed dangerously. After that, no one complained, and soon Allen got over his embarrassment and actually enjoyed his friend staying there. After he had been fixed up to the best of the nurse's ability, Cat came over and sat on the edge of his bed, her brown orbs watching him quietly. She grasped his right hand and squeezed it, letting him know without words that she was there for him. He seemed to nod slightly, understanding, before Link suddenly coughed in annoyance.

"Do you have a problem?" The girl snapped, her head whipping around to bare her fangs at the older man. Frowning, Link got up and padded to the door, ignoring the fact that the Head Nurse would hunt him down if he left. The door slammed shut with a satisfying click and the girl sighed quietly.

Chuckling, Allen spoke; "You seem to bring out the grizzly bear in people." All he received in reply was a smug grin as the girl shifted closer to him. Brushing her lips against the edge of his jaw line, the she-wolf leaned her head against the boy's forehead and nuzzled his nose affectionately. "And why are you so friendly tonight?" He breathed, pleased when the girl rumbled deeply when he laid his cursed hand on her side.

She seemed to hide her face in the crook of his neck, surprising the boy by how human the action was. Normally Cat would settle for ripping someone's head off…not for something like this. "I've just been lonely," her low murmur made Allen's ears strain to pick up her words. He tilted his head slightly, amused by how childish she seemed to be acting. Tugging on a brown lock, the girl looked up with annoyed eyes and all he could do was offer a small smile.

"You're cute when you act like that, ya know." Feeling like the cat that ate the canary when the girl hissed silently and turned away stubbornly, he wasn't even aware of the injuries that had been throbbing painfully only minutes ago. He had heard that when you had people you cared for close by, pain just didn't matter; their smiling face was all that one needed.

After all, wasn't love the greatest medicine of all, whether it is for a friend or lover?

Cat was now staring at him, noticing the boy's own gaze locked on her. They stared each other down, the familiarity of the action so mundane that they couldn't help but burst into laughter at their own stupidity. Why couldn't they both just admit they were Alphas together, rather than challenging one another at the most oddest of moments?

"If I am an Alpha Male, does that make you my Alpha Female?" The Musician's host teased, running his hand across the delicate, unmarred skin of her face. She seemingly purred like a kitten and leaned into his touch, more than agreeing with the statement, which practically made the boy's heart flutter with happiness. He watched as Cat twined her fingers with his own, and began to hum the tune that controlled the Ark. It bothered him briefly, but then he realized that even though he played host to her father, it made no difference. He was Allen and she was Cat, and all they knew were each other; not the lies that had been woven long before they were born, thousands of years ago.

"I'm glad your guard dog left," and with that said, Cat's lips were on Allen's, his breathing automatically hitching. Curling his cursed hand to snare some of her hair, all he could focus on was the girl besides him. Nothing else mattered, and the simple things like the Noah, the Akuma, the Earl, and the Order merely slipped away. It was as if they were nothing more than whispers of a past best left forgotten behind them as they continued walking down their chosen paths.

'_I will continue praying for our love to be completely true, and we will be reunited once more…kiss me as we join our hands…'_

Hearing the ending to the Musician's melody, Allen broke the kiss, grasping his head as pain shot through him. Cat also seemed to be suffering from the same feeling, but all the same, she clasped his hand tightly with her own. Several minutes passed before the pain finally subsided and they sat there panting slightly. Cat stood, albeit on shaky feet, her brown eyes oddly secretive. "Good night," she barely whispered before turning on her heel and stalking out. The boy looked up, his hands slowly leaving their position on his head to rest in his covered lap.

"What the hell just happened?" He swore out loud, since no one was around, and found himself grimacing with annoyance and anger. "Do you have to keep interrupting us?" He asked the fallen Noah, who gave no answer for once. Sighing he ran a hand through his disheveled white hair and looked at the door where his friend had entered and exited.

_Why do I get this feeling she's hiding more than she's letting on…?_

…X…

_The good life is what I need_

_Too many people stepping over me_

_The only thing that's been on my mind_

_Is the one thing I need before I die…_

…X…

Well, there's the longest chapter of GM so far!

Why does the 14th ruin almost all of the fluffy moments? D:

They never get a break, do they? But they will soon!

Next Chapter: Cat is sent out on a mission with a Finder named Kacela.

When it turns out to be a hoax, Cat gets to learn a little bit about this oddly familiar Finder.

-PA


	8. More Than Alive

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Yes, this OC isn't really mine, she belongs to a friend.

And no, Kacela will not be major, and will have as much screen time as Toma did in the anime.

…which wasn't much. XD

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

More than Alive

The Ready Set

…X…

The room was dark, with the exception of some light that filtered in from behind closed curtains. A mahogany-haired boy was lying on the bed, his arms at his side as if he were standing at attention in his sleep. His brows were furrowed and his lips were in a tight, thin line; usually the first signs of a nightmare. Finally he bared his teeth and clenched his hands, grabbing fistfuls of the stark white blanket that covered him.

A figure sat in a chair next to the injured teen's bed where a pair of sharp brown eyes sat glinting in the half-light. The girl watched the boy thrash around, not bothering to wake him from his apparent distress. Instead she chose to lean back in the hard oak chair and cross her arms over her chest. If there was one thing she had learned during her years of life, it was that it was never wise to wake a person while they were in such a fitful sleep.

After several more minutes, the boy froze and bolted upright, right hand clasped over his breast with his amber eyes the size of dishes. He panted for a moment, totally ignoring the entity in the room that was currently watching him like a science experiment. After his rapid breathing had slowed and his eyes had stopped flickering around the room so quickly, the male frowned deeply. With his peripheral vision he could make out the barest hints that someone he knew was nearby and rather amused. He let out a 'tch', but didn't bother to turn.

"What do you want?" Sol's voice was rough and heavy from the lingering traces of his troubled sleep, but he knew the wolf sitting near his bed could understand his gruff words. A part of his dream-hazed mind demanded that he attack the predator while she was so close and alone with him, but the rational part of his brain superseded the command. He didn't have his Innocence in the form of a silver ring on, anyways.

"Hmm…Just to talk…" Sol finally spun his torso around upon hearing the metallic clang of his ring as the girl knocked it against the side of her chair. His tresses fell across his face and the two longer locks lay upon his shoulders as he glared at her sharply. Her taunting smile infuriated Sol, and he held out one hand while demanding it be returned to him. The girl clucked her tongue and clutched the ring tightly in her right hand, only offering him a sadistic smirk. "Not until I speak with you, Sol Faolan."

Bringing his hand back to rest in his covered lap once again, Sol narrowed his eyes. He hated being used by this woman, but he knew it would be an impossible fight to get his ring back should he not listen to her. "Very well…"

…X…

Cat sat languidly in a chair, tilting it back while halfway listening to what Komui had to say. The Chinese man blinked a couple of times, slightly irked by the girl's off-putting behavior. He coughed in an attempt to get her attention, but that failed miserably.

Growing impatient, Komui Lee slammed his hands down on the desk, causing Cat and her chair to topple backwards with a resolute thud. The brown-haired girl blinked a few times before she noticed someone was standing over her. Flipping over and leaping to her feet gracefully, Cat held out a hand to the mocha-skinned girl before her on instinct.

"I'm Cat," she informed the girl with the French braid who appeared to be no older than she was. Finally accepting the hand offered to her, the girl dressed as a Finder smiled politely in return.

"I'm Kacela…" Her voice was gentle, which made Cat nod. She recalled the time when Kamots, her mentor, had taught her how to listen to the sounds of a person's voice. One could learn a lot about a person with the way they talked, and the wolf instinctively knew that Kacela was kind.

"Ahem…" Cat and Kacela turned their attention to Komui, who seemed bemused by how easily the two teenage girls had connected. "Cat, this is the Finder that will be accompanying you on that mission I mentioned."

The she-wolf finally took the time to look Kacela over, debating whether or not the girl would be a help or a hindrance. The girl who originated from Africa was well built, and seemed very attentive, both good qualities to find in anyone, especially in a woman. Yet the wolf had a sneaking suspicion that she was a bit clumsy due to the fact that the usually tan Finder outfit she was a light brown from an improper washing. Nodding in approval once again, Cat decided that she could be worse off, being paired with a different person who was a moron through and through.

Kacela was slightly nervous to be inspected by the Exorcist so carefully, but she was wise enough to keep her mouth shut for the time being. Though her curiosity was beginning to get the better of her, due to the fact that the only thing she had been told about Cat was that the girl was vicious. How could such a short, doll-like girl be anything but innocent? Sure, Kacela wasn't very tall or strong, but calling Cat a fighter almost seemed like a joke.

Watching as Cat moved to take a booklet from the Chief, she noticed with wide eyes that the girl had a myriad of scars dotting her arms, and even in the other places where her clothes didn't cover her skin. From Cat's bare ankles and legs to her shoulders and neck, the thin patches of newer skin announced that this brown-haired girl was indeed a seasoned fighter.

"What's your Innocence like?" Kacela blurted out, feeling her cheeks heat up when Cat's hazel eyes flashed to her face. For a long moment there was an awkward silence, but when Cat offered a sardonic smile, the thick atmosphere seemed to be lifted. "You'll find out soon enough, Kacela."

Swearing she saw a hidden emotion in the girl's eyes, Kacela could do nothing but follow the short teenager as they left Komui's office. She knew every living being kept things hidden, but Cat seemed both weathered and wised; it was as if she had seen too many things to be considered a mere child any more. And Kacela, for all that it was worth, wasn't quite sure she _wanted_ to learn any of Cat's buried secrets…

…X…

Strolling through the forest certainly wasn't Cat's idea of 'fun', but their trip to find any signs of Innocence demanded it. Kacela was padding a few feet behind the irate she-wolf, who was muttering under her breath sharply. The dark-haired girl was wary of the Exorcist's odd behavior, but decided nevertheless to ignore it.

Didn't a person who worked for the Order have to be slightly insane?

Kacela was shaken from her musings though when she slammed into Cat's back. She backed off and apologized profusely, one hand holding her now sore nose. She went silent though when Cat held up one finger, her body tensing and her eyes scanning the woods around them. They were on a small dirt path that cut through the forest, and Kacela suddenly realized that this was the perfect place for an ambush. Pulling out one of the daggers she carried with her, Kacela knew they would be of little use against an Akuma, but…

"Hey there, girlies,'' a slick voice said as nearly twenty men popped out of the forest. They were like silent shadows, obviously having had practice with this particular maneuver before. When they had finally surrounded the two teenage girls, the man who spoke, grinned. "We've been fancying some female companionship for quite some time now…"

"And you won't have any now," Cat retorted, her hands slowly clenching into fists. Many of the men chortled and bellowed, not able to believe that a mere girl or her friend could fight all of them off.

"You've got quite a sour look on your face." The boss of the group reached out with one grubby hand, which proceeded to set off a chain reaction. Cat swiftly grabbed his wrist before actually yanking the stout man around and slamming him straight into two of his comrades.

The other men rushed forward in an effort to stop the rampaging female, but Cat swung her fists and lifted her short legs high above her head to slam her feet into their faces and chests. In the mean time, Kacela had backed off slightly, watching in amazement as Cat took care of the situation with such professional ease. Suddenly feeling a hand on her shoulder though, Kacela spun around to come face-to-face with three men that were advancing on her. One pulled out a sword and gave a sadistic smile, and Kacela raised her dagger in defense.

A black flash suddenly bowled into the men, the domino effect in full swing. The jet black wolf glanced up briefly at Kacela, its azure gaze glittering with both annoyance and…amusement? The wolf turned its head back to survey the scene around them and snorted with satisfaction when she noticed that all the men were down. Some were totally out, while others were curled up on the dirt ground, moaning and crying out in pain. Flicking her tail, Cat signaled to Kacela for her to follow, and so they set off yet again.

…X…

"So after all of that trouble, there was no Innocence? Who was the dolt who reported it to the Order?" Cat was screeching to the Heavens, her hands curled like talons in her hair with a grimace on her face. Sighing loudly, the girl finally dropped her head and arms in defeat. She barely bothered to look up and noticed that the sun was setting, splashes of yellows, oranges, blues and many other colors lighting up the sky. Smiling slightly, a tune began to thrum through her throat as she sang softly.

Poor Kacela was once again walking behind Cat, her eyebrows scrunched up in worry. She was really starting to question the brown-haired girl's sanity. One moment she could be angry, the next she almost seemed in a good mood. "Are we going to set up camp for the night?" The dark-skinned girl finally bothered to ask, exhaustion beginning to wash over her.

Staring at Cat's back, Kacela bit her lip, trying to figure out where exactly she knew Cat from. Having seen her in her wolf form, she had seemed so familiar, but couldn't place her in any of her memories. Subconsciously, she rubbed her arms, her fingers tracing over some old scars on her right side. She was a lot like Cat in the scar department, and wondered if the wolf girl had a story for them as well.

"Yeah, sure, we can stop." While Cat didn't sound too pleased by the prospect of stopping, the girl from Africa didn't care since she was just way too tired.

Finally they found themselves in a bit of a small clearing near a rushing river. Night had fallen and a fire was set up, having been constructed by Cat but lit by Kacela. The wolf was leaning against the hard bark of a tree, her legs pulled up and her arms hanging off her knees. She screamed the epitome of calm, but was busy trying to filter through all the sounds of the night. The rush of water, the rustle of wind through the trees, the quiet chirp of crickets…Cat was seeking out any sounds of enemies, but had yet to hear any. Grunting slightly, she sat back up, making Kacela's eyes dart back to her, having been watching the moonlight dance on the river's surface.

"You look awfully familiar…" Kacela suddenly whispered, still trying to figure out where she knew Cat from. The wolf raised one eyebrow in a questioning manner, but also began to scan her memories. Finally receiving an image of one of her first missions where she was with an inexperienced female Finder. The girl recalled watching in horror as the Finder had tried to avoid an Akuma and had fallen off a cliff edge. Glancing over the edge and scrambling down the harsh rocks, Cat had come across the girl cut up on her right side, blood filtering its way through cracks and crevices. Feeling her eyes widen, Cat spoke at the same moment Kacela did.

"You were the one I was paired with on my first mission!"

They both went silent, staring at the other, remembering the horror of that destructive battle. Cat herself had gotten away with a nasty gouge on her left side, and Kacela had needed time after that to rehabilitate her right side which was still stiff every now and again. Blinking and finally giving a dark chuckle, the Exorcist shook her head slightly.

"So how's that right side of yours?"

Kacela shrugged, her left hand already rubbing her right arm absentmindedly. "It's alright now, but it's still a bit sore every now and again."

Cat held out her own right arm, inspecting it. "I know how that feels, considering I received one hell of a wound several years back." Painful memories gripped the hazel-eyed girl briefly, her sad smile twisting into a frown. She uttered a cry though when she felt a swift kick and looked up with startled eyes to see Kacela standing over her, arms crossed over her chest.

"I won't tolerate swearing," she informed Cat, who blinked like a stunned doe for several seconds. "And because of that incident I'm now a medic, so do you mind if I look at your hand?"

The taller female crouched down, grabbing the pale girl's hand for a closer inspection. She had seen Cat grasp the blade of one of the bandits that had attacked them earlier and hadn't even bothered to clean the wound since then. Her hand was dirty, and Kacela clucked her tongue at the sight, ordering Cat to go wash it in the stream. Standing, Cat did as she was told and returned to find Kacela pulling out some medical supplies from the bag she had been carrying. Wrapping up Cat's hand was an easy task, but was still annoyed by the wolf's attitude.

"Don't you have any self-preservation instincts?" She asked, voice practically dripping with venom. She hated people who didn't care for themselves properly. Instead of answering, Cat instead chose to look up at the half-moon, her eyes glittering in the light.

"I just don't bother to worry about myself any more…I've failed too many of my friends to have the right to do that any more…"

Kacela paused, looking at Cat briefly, but decided that it was best to leave the girl to her thoughts now. After all, there was always tomorrow…

…X…

"So how did the mission go?" Lavi's arm was swung over Cat's shoulder, much to the girl's displeasure. They had just returned, and of course it was the annoying red-headed rabbit that spotted them first. Cat opened her mouth to make an angry statement, but shut her jaws again when she heard a loud thud. Looking back in shock, she watched as Kacela popped up from where she had fallen down the small flight of stairs behind them.

"I'm okay!" She announced, waving at the two at the top of the stairs, who were staring at her. Other passerby's also glanced their way, turning only when they decided the girl was just fine.

Cat then slapped her forehead, muttering curses to the wolves in the sky.

…X…

_I don't want to slow down  
You go for seconds and days  
I live for moments to say  
That I may never get a second chance  
Don't throw it away…_

…X…

Ah, Kacela can be such a caring klutz. :3

Anyways, again, don't expect her too much, but she will pop in every now and again.

Next Chapter: Sora's birthday is at hand and she invites some of the Exorcists!

And of course, when things start going well, something has to ruin it!

-chuckles- Until the next time!

-PA


	9. I Hope You Dance

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Sora's birthday! She always seems to get her way, eh? ;3

Anyways, please enjoy, and I assure you, there is action in future chapters~

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

I Hope You Dance

Lee Ann Womack

…X…

Cat groaned, not even bothering to try to hide her annoyance. Sora smiled down at her friend and the Exorcists warmly, practically trying to win them over by using her cute charm alone. Her brown-haired friend frowned deeply, crossing her arms over her chest in a signal of defiance. "I don't think so, Sora." She finally said, no part of her betraying any emotion other than disdain.

Sora whined like a puppy, her pale blue eyes now pleading. "Please Cat? You haven't celebrated my birthday with me since that one year you were at the club!"

"Maybe I have something better to do," Cat countered coldly. Sora Rykier rolled her pale blue eyes. She wasn't going to give up that easily, and she doubted that the short Exorcist had anything better to do. And not only was she determined to drag Cat along to her birthday party, she wanted some of the teenagers from the Order to join in on the fun as well. After a few more minutes of begging, cursing, and threatening, Sora offered a smug grin as Cat threw her hands up into the air.

"Fine, fine, I'll come! May I now be left to eat my dinner in peace?" Cat's friends were faintly surprised that she gave in, but at the same time, were relieved. Peace and quiet always seemed impossible with Sora and Cat in the same room.

"Thank you!" Sora gave her friend a tight hug, which Cat stiffened at. Having forgotten her friend's intense dislike for physical contact, Sora backed off quickly with a nervous chuckle. Coughing slightly, she turned her attention to the others Cat was sitting with. "Will some of you join us as well?"

Immediately silence fell over the table, all of them waiting for another idiot to take the plunge by accepting or declining. Finally, it was Allen of all people to speak first. While offering Cat's friend a soft smile worthy of a debonair gentleman, he said; "I would be honored to join your celebration."

After that landmine had been dealt with, Lavi and Lenalee also grudgingly agreed to come, too. Kanda remained silent, not really being a person who enjoyed stupid things like parties and the like. Chaoji finally declined, but Krory and Miranda made up for the lack of the other two males' presences.

Having looked like a person who won the lottery, Sora pranced and jumped around like a bunny high on sugar. Cat's perpetual grimace was still in place on her face, not looking forward to tomorrow evening. She tried, she really did, to seem excited about spending a few hours with friends, but just wasn't exactly fond of the idea. Sighing, the girl hoped it at least went over well…

…X…

Standing in front of the club nestled amongst the other buildings within the town, Cat sighed, her friends by her side. None of them had bothered to dress up or do much of anything for the occasion, although Cat carried a leather-bound book with her. If someone didn't bring the crazy woman a gift, they'd all have hell to pay. So, spending what little money she had accumulated over the years, the female Exorcist had gone out and found a novel she thought her friend would like.

She remembered looking through the aisles of books, before a ginger-haired teen had come over and started making suggestions. Cat had seen him working the counter when she walked in, but since there was no else there, she figured he just wanted to talk to someone. Unfortunately she found that most of the books the dolt was recommending were adult novels, rated M for one reason alone. Snapping shut one of the books, a light blush on her face, the girl had snapped at the book clerk and demanded that he show her a book worthy of actually _reading_.

Finally, and with a quivering hand, he had handed her a small book, unlabeled and seemingly old. After a quick scan and a discussion about the plot, Cat had bought it, praying Sora would like it. She knew her life was practically on the line because of the damnable book.

Shaking her head, Cat grumbled, starting up the steps to the club, its blue-and-black sign shining in the light of the moon. Before daring to raise her fist to knock on the heavy wood doors though, Cat turned to address the assembled group. "Don't do, say, or think anything stupid, otherwise we'll never make it out alive." Her declaration confused some of the people, not realizing that Sora could be as vicious as a mother bear protecting her cubs at times. Needless to say, Cat preferred her head attached to her body, rather than rolling down the cobblestone streets.

Turning around, Cat was startled as the doors were thrown open, nearly bowling her back down the stairs. Grabbing onto the stone railing, she hissed like a cat at her friend who stood there, beaming widely. "Welcome! Come in, come in!" Sora insisted, holding open the doors for the seven Exorcists. That's right, seven. Having been a group effort involved, they managed to drag the fearsome Kanda along with them.

The light-brown haired girl closed the door behind the teenagers and young adults who looked around in wonder. They had only been there once before, but this time it was decorated with almost random objects. Some of the items included; silver garland hanging from the rafters, leaves tied in bunches and scattered aimlessly along the bar, summer flowers sitting in vases on the tables, and even more strange objects. The stage lights were on, shining down on the relatively small wood stage were Aaron stood, tuning his guitar. He looked up at the arrival of the Exorcists, but quickly went back to what he was doing, his gold wedding ring glittering in the hot light. York stood behind the bar, cleaning glasses, but also looked up to offer a flashing smile and a bit of a wave.

"So how does it look?" Sora cooed, dancing around, her usual blue summer dress flowing around her elegantly. She clapped her hands together before reaching out and grabbing Cat, making her prance around as well.

"Gah, Sora, stop!" Cat spat in-between twirls and broke free, before slamming right into Lavi. Stumbling around for a moment, the she-wolf shook herself to break free of the confines of dizziness before glaring at her childhood friend, who ignored her blatantly.

Chattering madly, she pointed to the table in the middle of the room, where they began to sit down. Kanda however, being the anti-social jerk that he was, went off on his own to enjoy the quiet of one of the corners near the door. Everyone made it a point to ignore him, except for Sora who finally went over to ask if he wanted anything.

"To be left in peace for once!" He ground out, eyes as sharp as daggers. Sora's smile fell briefly before she wandered back over to the other six.

Regaining her confidence though, she offered a large grin. "Perfect number," she sang. She knew after all that the middle table, the one closet to the stage, was the only one in their entire place that could hold six people at a time. Two on each side, with the exception of the ends, which only held one person apiece. Cat and Allen held those special spots, while Lavi and Lenalee sat on the side closet to the bar, with Krory and Miranda sitting opposite of them. Finally Sora plopped down onto a tall bar stool, overlooking the six victims.

Closing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest, Cat cracked one eye open and glanced over at her mental 'friend'. "Happy birthday, ya crazy fruitcake."

Sora stuck her tongue out at the other wolf, but the smile and twinkle in her eyes never left her face. "Thanks," she said upon the others also giving their birthday wishes to the lucky girl.

"How old are you?" Lavi asked, setting his chin down on the palm of his hand. His one emerald eye looked amused as Sora feigned being insulted.

"Who ever told you it was polite to ask a woman her age?"

"She's 19." Cat said, not bothering to open her eyes as she spoke. She twisted her head this way and that, happy to hear a few pops coming from her neck; she hadn't had the best of sleep the night before and still wasn't feeling so great.

The others seemed startled by what Cat said, and they turned questioning eyes to the sky-eyed girl. Sora frowned with disapproval at Cat, but it was lost on the other girl who practically seemed asleep. "Yes, she's correct; I'm 19 years old today. So what if I'm three years older than my dear idiot friend?" Upon saying this, Sora hopped off the bar stool and wrapped one arm around Cat in a headlock.

"Garr!" The brown-haired girl shoved the older one off of her, giving the birthday girl a withering look the entire time. When all she received was a pointed look, the exorcist pulled out the book and handed it to Sora. Said girl squealed like a tiny child before twirling around, the book clutched tightly in her delicate hands. "Thank you!" She cried to Cat, her eyes wide and lit up with pleasure.

"You owe me; I wasted so much money I had earned over the years for that worthless thing! I was also harassed by an employee of the bookstore!" Staring down her friend, Cat earned chuckles from her friends who were amused by the two she-wolves. Sora merely came back over, offered Cat a hug, which was shot down immediately.

Sora suddenly gave a wicked grin, in which she proceeded to ask Cat what the employee had looked like. Cat went on to describe the lanky red-head who wore glasses and a bit of an evil smirk on his face. He had seemed polite at first, she claimed, until he started handing books that belonged in a trash can somewhere. "I've never been one to support the burning of books, but the crap he was handing me almost became an exception."

"I know who that is, the little rascal. His name is Theo Starnin; he's an okay kid, but he does have a bit of a twisted side to him." She shrugged, as if she too was at wit's end with how to deal with the strange teen. Cat just shook her head, not really caring about the personal details since she didn't plan to return to that particular store anytime soon. About to open her mouth to say just that, everyone turned their head as the phone near the bar rang, and York picked it up. He spoke to what sounded like an old friend of his, giving his bellowing laugh every now and again.

Finally hanging up the phone, he gave Sora and her gathered entourage an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but a friend of mine is in town and I'm going to go and meet him. All I ask is that I don't come back to find smoldering ashes where the club once was, alright?" After Sora gave a quick nod, she pushed him out the door while handing him his coat.

"Go out and enjoy yourself, eh?" After the door closed behind him, she returned to the bar stool she had been perched on earlier. "So what's new in your world?" The question was directed to all of the exorcists, and they began to prattle about simple things like recent fights and chaos within the Order itself. "What do you mean by chaos?" Sora tilted her head, her eyebrows scrunched up in a questioning motion.

"There's a new member named Sol Faolan." Cat said simply, sipping at the tea Aaron had handed them only moments ago. He had retreated to lean against the bar near Sora, listening intently to what they all had to say. He didn't quite understand the secret war that was being waged, but he did understand its importance. "To say the least, he's a jerk that I'd like nothing more than to choke with my bare hands."

Sora frowned, not approving of her friend's vicious attitude towards him. "Why do you say that? What did he do to rub your fur the wrong way?"

Everyone turned their attention to the black wolf who sat there, staring down at her tea. Finally, she spoke; "It's just that he pisses everyone off. I don't know what happened to him, but I doubt it was bad enough to give him the right to be a jackass. And I…" She trailed off, wondering if she should admit she recognized his piercing eyes, but then decided against it. It'd raise too many questions. "Never mind," she said simply.

In the mean time, Aaron, the brave yet stupid fool that he was, attempted to walk over and offer Kanda something to drink. When his sharp eyes flashed up at the poor, unassuming human, Aaron froze, feeling like a piece of prey caught between a rock and a predator. Not even bothering to say anything, Kanda stood and stalked in the direction of the door. Once he reached it, instead of opening it like a normal human being, he kicked it down in one swift kick before disappearing into the night.

Everyone sat there, staring at his retreating figure as Sora sighed and slapped her forehead. Aaron turned around, glaring half-heartedly at his wife. "I told you to stop inviting people over who destroyed the place, but did you listen? Of course not," he said evenly, leaving the main room in hopes of finding a broom, some nails, and a hammer.

"Hun, you might as well pray that a new set of doors falls from heaven," Sora called after him. Figuring he heard her anyways, she shrugged helplessly. "Shouldn't have poked the rabid bear with a stick."

The silver wolf simply sighed before noticing Allen also looked a bit annoyed. Smirking as a conniving plan came into her mind, Sora suddenly grabbed her husband as he returned. "Oh, I forgot that Aaron and I have some dinner reservations! If you don't mind, we must be taking our leave." Aaron raised one eyebrow, wanting to ask what on earth she had taken to make her think they were going out for dinner. Hadn't he spent half the day preparing a romantic dinner that was already set up on the roof of the club? All he received from his wife though was a wink and a slight nod in Cat's direction. Still not sure what Sora had in mind, he just shook it off before deciding it was best not to question her and set the hammer he had grabbed on the bar.

"Oh, okay," Lenalee said with a smile. Everyone began to stand up and leave, but Sora immediately cut Allen and Cat off before they could follow their comrades out the door. "I don't think so, you two!"

"What are you doing?" Cat hissed, not wanting to stick around longer than necessary. The girl latched onto both Allen and Cat, dragging them in the direction of the stairs.

"I had Aaron set up a romantic dinner for the two of us before, but it would seem that you two are the ones that need to get reacquainted! So, you're going to stay here and enjoy yourselves tonight." They had finally made it to the roof, and Sora pushed the two in the direction of the table that already had a candle in the middle and food ready and still steaming. Cat opened her mouth to bark at Sora in annoyance, but the girl clucked her tongue. "Nope, I won't hear it. Please, just try to have fun." The kind smile she wore made Cat silent, and even Allen had no complaints. Satisfied they wouldn't try to leave for the time being, she turned and left, waving at them before shutting the hatch that led back down into the club.

Cat went and sat down, already grumbling to herself in the wolves' tongue. Allen, in the meantime, was looking around with awe. Lights were strung around the parameter of the roof, making it almost have a Christmas-like feel to it. Sure, it was the middle of summer, but it was the thought that counted, right? Finally taking a seat opposite of the annoyed girl, he offered her a reassuring smile. "Let's do as Sora says and enjoy the night while we have the chance." Cat glared at him in response for a moment before relenting and the two of them began to chow down on the wonderful food that sat before them.

After the meal had been completed, the sound of music drifted up making the two exorcists look over the edge. In the streets they saw a few people walking around like carolers, singing and playing instruments. They stopped near the alleyway that rested near the club, and Allen stood up, offering his hand to Cat. She seemed confused at first, but when he requested a dance, she grinned widely and accepted the offered hand.

Moving to the empty space on the roof, Allen placed his Innocence-laden hand on Cat's side while his right hand grasped her hand firmly. They began to turn, slowly but surely, the pace picking up after a moment. "It feels great to dance with you again," Allen whispered, his head instinctively leaning forward towards the shorter girl.

She chuckled, her brown orbs sparkling with amusement. "It's not as fun as it was that night we had half the people from this very town celebrating with us." He gave a hearty laugh, throwing his head back and briefly interrupting the flow of the dance to regain his breath. "What's so funny?"

Still chuckling slightly, he spoke. "It's just that all I can remember is when you latched onto my hair – which was long at the time – and you looking back at me. Then everyone started whistling and calling us out because of how we were positioned." Gray eyes lively, he remembered how much he had enjoyed that spirited dance with the girl before him. Allen raised his arm to spin the brown-haired girl around a few times before sweeping her into a dip. When all he did was grin down at her as he pulled her back up, she stuck her tongue out at him. Feeling a bit frisky, he closed the distance between them in order to nip her tongue lightly with his teeth. The girl made a yelp of both pain and anger and she growled sharply when he smirked triumphantly.

"Haven't you ever been taught not to stick your tongue out at people? It's just not polite at all."

"Sh-shut up!" Cat spat at him, face bright red with embarrassment. In all honesty, she had never expected the boy to do something like that. Sure, the girl knew it wasn't a bright idea to do that, but still…!

Wrapping one arm around her, he looked apologetic. "Forgive me?" He asked in a breathy whisper as he placed his forehead on hers. She studied him for a moment, face still twisted into a frown, but she finally smiled a bit. "Fine," and with that said, Allen scooped her up bridal-style, making the she-wolf blush even more. She clung to him like he was an anchor of support, her head buried in the crook of his neck. Laughing, he finally set her back down on her feet, earning nothing more than a swift kick to the shin.

"Ever do something like that again, and it won't be your shins I've kicked!" Her threat made, she turned towards the hatch, more than ready to go back to the Order and sleep. Bending down, she pulled on the handle onto to find it had been locked. "Son of a bitch," she swore out loud. Allen made a noise of protest at her choice of words, but she ignored him in favor of tugging on the handle roughly. When it wouldn't open, she stood back up, taking deep breaths to contain her anger.

Cat's eyes widened as she felt herself being picked up again, and she was just about to scream at the boy when she paused. "Allen?" His Innocence was activated, the familiar white cloak enshrouding his form. Silver eyes that shined like stars looked down at her, just begging to have her trust him. While her eyebrows were knitted together in worry, he looked completely calm before he suddenly leapt from the roof of the Black Howl Club to the next roof over. They traveled this way all the way until they reached the edge of the town where the forest separated the normal people from the Order.

Landing neatly on the grass, he once again placed Cat down before deactivating his Innocence. "Yes, I heard your threat, but you seemed frustrated and tired." Dipping his head down, he looked at her through his eyelashes. The girl crossed her arms and tapped her foot for a moment before rolling her eyes and walking away.

"I appreciate the fact that you were thinking about me, but if I were you, I'd stay behind the aggravated girl." Stopping, she looked over her shoulder at him. "I'd also sleep with a club." Nodding at him once, she continued on her way, leaving a stunned Allen standing there.

…X…

_I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance  
Never settle for the path of least resistance  
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking  
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making…_

…X…

Gah, I apologize for the late update. Shit happens, and Kitty wasn't a happy person these last two days.

Anyways... Yay for angry Cat! :D

-chuckles- Anyways, they finally got a moment alone, thanks to Sora. She's nuts, I swear!

Next Chapter: The wolves discuss Yuki's death and Cat's health.

When Cat undergoes tests and finds out why, can anyone calm the irate she-wolf?

-PA


	10. Wasurenai Yo

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Well, while we had a cute little chapter last time, this time it's depressing.

We finally find out how exactly Yuki died! Took long enough, eh? XD

By the way, it's another Japanese title.

_**Please listen to it; it's extremely sad, and it's from the movie Hachiko!**_

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Wasurenai Yo

Thelma Aoyama

…X…

Cat stretched languidly as she walked through the corridors of the Black Order. It had been a few days since Sora's birthday, and she had been in a relatively good mood since then. After all, when lover boy – AKA Allen – had swept her off her feet, she knew she had made the right choice in loving him. Brushing a lock of brown hair behind one ear, she began to whistle the tune of the Ark, not caring if anyone heard. Leverrier wasn't around and Link seemed like he could care less about it since it had been made known she was the 14th's daughter.

Stopping at the sound of arguing voices though, Cat peered around the next corner. There stood Sora and Black Star arguing, with a nervous-looking Russet Howl cowering nearby. Although Cat's tall uncle nearly had a foot and a half on Sora, the girl was on her toes and poking him in the chest. Obviously they were exchanging sharp words with one another.

"You halfwit! Why in God's name did you not tell me before how Yuki died?" Black Star's words caught Cat off-guard, who slunk back for a moment, debating whether to continue listening or not. However, the words had been spoken and Cat's curiosity peaked; she wanted to know desperately what they meant by how she had died. All she remembered was Yuki was fighting a Level 4 Akuma, and upon killing it was sent flying back and off a cliff. She had tried to reach a hand out to her mother to save her, but she had fallen and had been washed away in the currents.

"I thought that if all you knew was that Yuki drowned, all would be well! She survived falling into that river, you know!" Even more confused, Cat peaked around the corner again.

Black Star was standing there, breathing deeply, clenching and un-clenching his fists repeatedly. He looked murderous, and Sora appeared to be the one he wanted to kill. Bless poor Russet's soul, since it looked like he was either about to wet himself or keel over from a heart attack. He was trying to tell them to stop, but they ignored him blatantly. Finally he backed off and stood off to the side, eyes downcast.

"If Yuki didn't die from the fall or drowning, what did she die from then? Her wounds received while fighting the Level 4?"

Sora paused, closing her eyes briefly. She could still remember it like yesterday, when Inaria had drug a dead white wolf into the Healer's den. At first Sora had thought the same thing as Black Star did; she drowned or her injuries took her. But no, after a quick inspection by the wise Healer, she had reported a different means of death. Later on, it had even been supported by talking to one of Yuki's closest friends.

"There was something wrong with her heart. I don't know what exactly it was, since there was never an autopsy by a professional doctor, but that's what ultimately killed her. Rose, Yuki's closet friend, also concurred with the statement, saying that Yuki had been having shortness of breath, chest pains, and a painful flare everytime she transformed." Sora's eyebrows were scrunched up and her eyes were intense, all with the hope of having the White Ghost's brother understand. Instead, his shoulders went slack and he looked like a deer caught in the light.

"I…I can't believe it…" He trailed off his sentence, looking around with his wide, confused eyes. Sora felt sympathy for the man; his own sister had never bothered to tell him about her condition. She had a feeling it was because he would have dragged her off to a hospital, and had Cat been alive at the time, he would have taken the child from her mother. She could only imagine how painful it was for Yuki to choose between possibly having a longer life and providing safety for her pup. They had traveled constantly those five years just to stay hidden from both the Earl and the Order, after all.

Russet edged closer, his brown eyes staring warily at Black Star's now-hunched form. "Father…?" He whispered, reaching out a hand and placing it lightly on the large man's shoulder. Black Star stiffened at first before relaxing, and telling his son with a firm voice to leave him alone. Russet's eyes reflected a deep sadness that his own father didn't seem to like his company, but he backed off anyways.

In the mean time, Cat had disappeared after Sora's confession, her head swirling with thoughts and her heart pounding. She had wondered for so long why her mother had rarely transformed back and forth, and now she knew why.

It had been all because it caused her pain.

Heading in the direction of the cafeteria out of habit, the girl swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew she'd have to confront Sora about what she had heard, with two things in mind; one, why had she hidden the truth from her, and two, who was Rose? So many questions tore at Cat, until she thought they'd eat her alive.

…X…

"Are you alright, Cat?" Lenalee asked from where she sat across from the aforementioned girl. Cat was merely sitting there, hands clasped together and head bowed, as if she were praying. When she received no answer, Lenalee became even more concerned for her friend. "Cat…?" Yet she still didn't move or respond, and Lenalee breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed Sora and Russet walk in. Waving them over, she turned her confused eyes from them to the black she-wolf in a silent notion.

Sora walked over, head tilted, looking just as worried and confused as the female exorcist. "Cat, honey, is something bothering you…?" When all she garnered was a low growl, she tugged on Cat's arm softly. "Hey, Black Star wants to see you."

Raising her head finally, her eyes and facial expression remained unreadable as she stood and turned towards her friend. "Fine," was all she uttered as she began to move towards the door. Sora, Russet, and Lenalee all stared at her retreating back before the two other wolves followed after her.

…X…

"I don't understand what the purpose of this is," Cat hissed as she continued to get poked and prodded. The doctor that was there looked up, smiling apologetically before walking back over to a desk where he filtered through some papers. Black Star stood off to the side, arms crossed over his mighty chest. His steely eyes merely stared down Cat, not wanting to argue the matter any further.

He just had to be sure.

After discovering Yuki's poor health, he called in a friend of his who would check the girl free of charge. Black Star had told the man he had all the equipment he'd need, although he had been left in the dark as to the purpose of the Order. Not even bothering to check with Komui if it was fine to bring a stranger in, the Black Star knew he'd eventually be found out and reprimanded for his actions. But no, he couldn't risk sending Cat out to fight any more if there was anything wrong with her.

Stepping back, the kind doctor named Hiro nodded to himself. "Alright then," he said to no one in particular, which made Cat raise one questioning eyebrow. He removed his glasses briefly, his hazel orbs shining in the minimal light. He turned to Black Star, his white doctor's coat moving with him in a grace exceptional for such a young man. After all, he had only recently graduated medical school and was only 21 years old. Hiro was almost six feet tall, with rather rugged good looks and sharp gray eyes. His auburn-colored hair wasn't as long as Allen's, but it did fall in wisps on his head and around his face. The glasses almost seemed unnecessary, but he did need them since he was far-sighted, not near-sighted.

"Mr. Star, I have no idea as to why you've called me here! Your niece is one of the fittest people I have seen in my life! Sure, her right arm seems to be a bit stiff, but that's understandable with the wound that she received before hand. What are you so worried about?" He was only a few inches shorter than Black Star, but the latter's eyes made Hiro shrink back away. His human instincts just knew there was something dangerous about the way Black Star – and even Cat – carried themselves. Eyeing both of them, he didn't fail to notice the scars that lined every visible part of their bodies. It was obvious that they were fighters, and he certainly didn't want to become another victim.

Although he did wonder what is was that had them fighting so hard.

"You're absolutely sure there's nothing wrong?" While his voice was even, Black Star was shaking on the inside. Having thought it was the Akuma or the water that had killed his sister, the news of her heart problem had come as a shock. So Black Star had arranged this little "meeting", and of course the girl hadn't been pleased, but went along with it.

"Yes, and I checked her heart and lungs, as per your request, and they seem fine." Hiro responded evenly, trying to get a better grasp of the situation before him.

Cat suddenly jumped off the table she had been on, which made the two men look at her. Offering the doctor a wide smile and a shake of the hands, she spoke in melodic tones. "Thank you for your services, and if we require them again, we'll call for you." Stuttering a 'thank you', Doctor Hiro left the room with Russet who escorted him out of the building.

"You shouldn't do that to people," Black Star merely scoffed in response when Cat turned back to her uncle.

"I'm just using my abilities as a wolf to my advantage." She responded simply as she advanced towards him. Stopping in front of him, the tiny girl stared up at Black Star. "I know what this is all about, and I don't appreciate it. Just because my mother died from heart problems doesn't mean that the same fate will befall me."

Black Star's eyes went wide, shocked that she knew. Suddenly his eyes narrowed as he remembered that he had caught her scent nearby while speaking with Sora. He had brushed it off, but now, nearly five hours later, he wished he had paid more attention.

"I don't care how she died; it won't bring her back." Cat continued, annoyed she was being treated like a sickly child. It pained her almost as much as Black Star to hear the truth, but the words couldn't be un-heard or un-spoken. She would just have to learn to live with the knowledge, no matter how much her heart ached at the moment.

It was like Yuki had died all over again.

Cat's uncle sighed, his great frame quivering as he did. "Forgive me for caring," he huffed, before turning to leave. However, he didn't get the chance.

At the same moment, Allen busted in, his gray eyes on fire as he looked between Cat and Black Star. "What the hell is going on? I just came back from my mission to see a doctor leaving. When I asked Russet, he muttered something about you being sick!" He moved towards the girl, firmly ignoring the black-haired man. He still didn't like Black Star, considering he had tried to push him and Cat apart, and had hurt his dear friend.

Wrapping his arms around Cat's frame into a gentle embrace, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the other wolf had left. Turning his attention back to the girl before him, he was surprised to see she was smiling up at him. "Thank you, Allen."

"For what? And what's this all about?" He was frustrated, to say the least.

The brown-eyed girl chuckled briefly, amused by the look on Allen's face. "For being worried about me, you twit!" After a moment though, her chuckling stopped and a look of sadness crossed over her face. "Sora told Black Star how my mother really died. He was concerned that I might have what she had, too."

"What did she die from?" Allen inquired. He wanted to know, but he also didn't want to upset Cat out of fear of what she'd do.

Pondering his question for a moment, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him over to a couple of chairs sitting in the corner of the dark room. The only source of light came from the numerous machines that lined the walls, and it held an eerie glow over the two teens. "My mother…I thought she had died from fighting a Level 4…instead, she really did from a heart condition no one but her best friend knew about."

"Her best friend?" To say the least, the silver-haired boy's question surprised Cat. She hadn't thought that he would even bother to ask about that.

"I honestly don't know who this 'Rose' person is." Cat admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. As much as she'd like to know, she doubted that anyone would know where she is…unless Sora knew, since she had apparently spoken to the woman. "I'll burn that bridge when I come to it."

Allen raised one eyebrow. However, he said nothing, but settled for reaching over and grabbing her hand in his own. "I'm sure Yuki didn't tell anyone because she didn't want anyone to worry about her." The doe-eyed girl blinked at him, feeling that what he said just had to be true.

"Thanks…"

"Anytime," he chirped, glad to see that his friend didn't seem too bothered. Suddenly he remembered that he had forgotten to report to Komui, and he swore under his breath rather loudly. He gave Cat an apologetic smile and a swift kiss on her cheek before leaving the room in hopes he wouldn't get yelled at by the Chinese man. The girl merely continued to sit there for a moment laughing quietly to herself.

While life seemed rough at times, Cat still had her dear friends by her side.

…X…

_I'll be waiting,  
I won't forget, I won't forget  
That's why today as normal  
I will be waiting just like that day  
Even though I feel lonely I'm fine  
How you said "welcome back" and embraced me  
It's as if I hear the beat of your warm chest…_

…X…

Sorry for the lack of an update last week, I had too much stuff going on.

Gosh, that song just keeps getting to me. –chuckles-

Anyways, thanks for all the reviews, favs, and alerts! I'm greatly appreciative!

Next Chapter: Secrets, a beautiful summer day, and a disappearing wolf.

...Wait, what?

-PA


	11. Tame Me

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: I just really gotta say thanks to a certain friend of mine who has been giving me ideas and proofreading!

Anyways, the chapter after this has action and fighting! Mwahaha!

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Tame Me

Ana Johnsson

…X…

A black wolf turned sharply, her claws hitting the stone floor with a resounding clack. Azure eyes flashed as the canine turned and ran her claws down the stone walls in a fit of rage. All she could keep repeating inwardly was 'why me?', and it wasn't helping her attitude. The more her paws scraped the stone, the more it tugged roughly on her delicate claws and pads. Blood marred the wall across from her bed and bloody prints marked her path. It was a continuous routine; stalk forward and back five times, then turn to paint the walls red.

Fangs visible during silent cries and frustrated growls, the noises left the lupine's throat as a sign of pain and grief. After all she had suffered through the day before with the true knowledge of her mother's death and being examined, last night had been the final blow. Cat stopped, breathing heavily in the middle of her dark room. Dawn's first light was peering through her windows from where the sun was beginning to lift over the ocean. Her wild eyes burned with a strange intensity, recalling her conversation with Allen the night before.

…X…

-Flashback-

The library. It was a quaint place, all in all, with shelves stacked full of books and some even lying on the floor. Two tall windows rose up towards the roof, offering the only light when the lamps weren't lit. Cat was perched on a window seat, her eyes scanning the crisp page of a book with mild interest. She didn't need the help of man-made light to show her the words that told a story of secrets, lies, courage, and valor. It wasn't the type of story the girl was prone to reading, but tonight she made an exception. After all, she needed something to do besides pacing aimlessly or going outside for a walk.

She had learned the hard way not to do either of those things.

Perking up at the sound of a rustle, a low growl emitted from her throat that warned any intruders of hell to pay should they bother her. When a table was knocked over, she scanned the library, annoyed when the shadows played tricks on her eyes. Finally, a white-haired apparition appeared, startling Cat.

"Allen?" She hissed into the darkness, cursing her human eyes for the briefest of moments.

He finally popped up besides her, smiling apologetically. His gray eyes were earnest and open, and the girl couldn't help but smile at his naivety. "Care to join me?" Allen nodded and Cat moved slightly to allow for her friend to get up behind her. She leaned back into his chest, pleased that he was finally tall enough to make a suitable pillow. "And what brings you here during the hour of death?"

"'Hour of death?'" He questioned, placing his chin atop the girl's head. He could feel her chest rumble slightly with an inward chuckle, and he found he enjoyed the feeling.

"It's what some people call this time because so many murders take place from the hours between midnight and three." Allen froze, eyes widening at the statement, but relaxed again when the girl scoffed at him. "Halfwit," she informed him coldly.

Muttering a few curses under his breath, he wrapped his arms around her. Trying to snatch the book away, Allen demanded Cat's attention like that of a child. "Pay attention to me," he whined.

"I think you've earned more of my attention than anyone else in this damnable place." When all he did in response was whimper, the brown-haired girl finally tossed the book to the side. She really didn't care where it landed, since the library was a mass of misplaced books anyways. "Fine, what is it that you want?"

"Your company?"

"That was a question," she informed him, "not a statement. That makes me very suspicious as to what you actually want." Turning halfway in his arms, one eye peered up at him with a raised eyebrow to accompany it. "Say something in your defense, or else."

Gulping, Allen tried to cover his mistake. "I really wanted to say 'you', but I felt like that was something Master Cross would say." Smiling innocently, he winced when the girl shuddered and made a face.

"Thanks for the image, really." Rolling her eyes, she settled back into place, happy to just lean into the boy and relax. There was a long moment of silence between the two who were just content to stare out the window at the stars.

"I have something I feel that I should tell you," Allen suddenly whispered. Cat turned around a bit, her eyes scanning his face for any signs as to what he was going to say. Instead, he was still staring out the window, his body a bit stiff.

"What is it?" Feeling her eyes narrow a bit, Cat wondered if she was going to be pleased or angered by what he had to say. Something told her it was going to be a mixture of both.

Allen sighed but his gaze remained locked on something of interest outside. "It's about your father." His words made Cat blanch slightly with shock. Ever since the Order had made the discovery – thanks to Allen's overreaction – that the 14th was her father, the subject was practically taboo. It wasn't like she knew anything about her father anyways, so Cat felt that she was better off in the dark. Yet she still felt sad that she knew nothing; Allen probably knew more than she did, which she secretly hated.

He had been the 'adopted' son of her uncle, Mana Walker, so he at least had that connection. Cat remembered having met Mana only once during her life, and then when she met Allen and learned of the man's death, she had been hurt. Why did it seem that everyone she knew was dying? Was it because Inaria's prediction was right, and she was cursed, or was it simply because she and her family had been born into this war? Either way, it made Cat's blood boil to the point where she wanted to kill the Earl more than anything else.

"Well?" She pressed.

"Well," he drawled slowly, "it has to do with the incident about a half a year ago. The battle with the Clan of Noah and the Earl, remember?" Cat nodded. After all, how could she forget? So many of her friends had almost died, and many others had been sacrificed during the fight. Even when she had been lying in a pool of her own blood, she had thought she could practically feel the ties of the other Exorcists loosen before breaking. Wolves knew when someone close to them died, and it pained them every time. It was as if they could feel their pain as they died, and it was for that very reason that Cat pushed herself so hard. She had sworn as a wolf that she would fight for her friends and the innocent people, and still held true to that promise.

"Go on…"

Running a hand through his hair, Allen steeled himself for the girl's imminent reaction. "I saw your father…the 14th." Hearing Cat draw in a breath, he took it as a sign that he needed to continue before she hurt him. "He spoke to me as well, although it was brief. He said his name was Neah."

"Neah…" Cat barely managed to whisper. She couldn't tell if she was happy to know his name, or upset that Allen was the one to know it first. Inwardly, she felt like hitting something. "You said you saw him too?"

Allen nodded. "Yes, and it was a bit scary. He really did look like Tyki…or vice versa."

Cat groaned, as if trying to make light of the annoying situation. "Please don't tell me I have a brother. I don't think I could handle that either." Allen gave a bit of a chuckle, but blinked when Cat removed herself from the window sill and stepped lightly onto the stone floor. She looked over her shoulder and gave a sardonic smile to the boy. "I think I'll be taking my leave now, eh?"

"Okay," he muttered. The silver-haired youth watched as the other Exorcists left the library and as she shut the door quietly. Leaning his head back against the wall, he peeked at the window out of the corner of his eye. "Satisfied?" The dark shadow staring back didn't answer, and Allen felt like maybe he had made a mistake in waiting so long to tell Cat the truth.

Unfortunately, Karma has a way of coming back and biting people in the ass.

-End Flashback-

…X…

"Good morning Allen!" Lenalee chirped as said boy entered Komui's office wiping his sleepy eyes. He offered a bit of a smile as he stood next to her and Lavi. Komui was standing at the front of the room, a grimace on his face. Leverrier was also off to the side, looking angry as always. Allen bit his lip slightly as Link came to stand beside him. He really wished he could get rid of Leverrier's lapdog, but he couldn't because he was still considered a threat.

What a joke.

Looking at Sol who stood across the room, Allen felt irked by how the boy was leaning against the wall. He looked like he was almost asleep, with the way he had his head bent down and his eyes closed. Whatever this meeting was about, Allen doubted the other boy would care. As one of the generals began to speak though, Allen took his gaze off of Sol and back to Komui.

"So, why are we all here?" Winters demanded, his voice petulant.

Komui sighed and tapped his fingers against his arms for a brief moment. He finally spoke though, scanning the faces of everyone in the room. "This morning, I asked Johnny to go get Cat to receive orders for a mission, but…" He trailed off, this time, his eyes mostly locked on Allen, as if to gauge his reaction. "All he found was quite a lot of blood."

"Blood?" A couple of people echoed with a gasp. Had their friend been attacked in her own room during the night?

"Anyways, she's gone, and I want a few of you to go out and look for her."

So, with that said, everyone was dismissed and they began discussing at they walked down the hallway who was going to look for the wolf. "I'll go," Allen immediately volunteered. Link was obviously going to be tagging along with him, which the boy didn't mind. He wanted to show to Leverrier, through Link, that he was willing to go the distance for his friends.

"So will I," Lenalee chimed in, figuring she could search for the girl from the skies using her Innocence. Lavi also decided to go, and Miranda also volunteered. After a bit of prodding, Marie also decided to go along with Miranda because of his hearing. If they could search for Cat using various methods, they might find her even quicker. And so, off they went.

…X…

"Cat?" Allen called, hands cupped around his mouth. His silver eyes were scanning the trees, praying they'd find her quickly; especially if she was injured. Turning around, he saw Link also inspecting the area, looking for areas that the she-wolf could hide in. Frowning at the lack of having found her yet – considering it was already noon – Allen was beginning to wonder if she had been taken, and not just wounded. Having a feeling Link was about to tell him to stop searching and go back, the boy trudged further up the trail and deeper into the trees.

Tall pines surrounded him, with birds calling and insects offering a tune as he continued his journey. It was a beautiful day out, but Allen barely noticed considering how it felt like a dark cloud was hovering over his head. Walking through a thicket that made him feel a bit more peaceful, his eyes widened when he heard a rustle. Figuring it was Cat, he turned with a large grin on his face. However, that smile faded when he realized it was a grizzly bear. "Crap…!" he squeaked.

Backing up, he held up his hands in a complacent manner, as if the creature would understand. Yet when the large grizzly bear roared, Allen had a feeling it didn't care for humans. Not really wanting to activate his Innocence to fight it, he attempted to back up further, but swallowed when he realized he had hit a large tree. Pinned between a proverbial rock and a hard place, the silver-haired boy was about to activate his Innocence when a paw came swiping down towards him. Shutting his eyes, Allen had wished he had never left Link's side.

When the blow never came and he instead heard the bear roar in pain, Allen's eyes flew open. A black mass of fur was on its back, ripping and tearing at the bear's thick hide with claws and fangs. "Cat?" Allen cried, watching as the wolf was flung to the side. She remained on her paws though, her azure eyes glinting with a hidden fire. Within seconds, she had transformed into her second form, this time much closer to the bear's size.

Tackling it head on, she began pushing it away, the bear's feet leaving two trails in the process. "Run!" Came the command as the wolf continued to push the monstrosity deeper into the thicket. Allen refused to run though, and instead followed after, watching as Cat pushed the bear all the way to the edge of a ravine. With a grunt and one last push, the large wolf knocked the bear down the ravine where it landed with a thud. After a few heartbeats, it stirred and got up before whimpering a bit. It suddenly took off, having had enough of fighting with the fearsome wolf for the day.

Allen was about to thank Cat when the wolf spun around, hackles raised and lips drawn back over her teeth. "You halfwit! What the fuck were you thinking? If I hadn't come, you would have been minced meat!" She finally transformed into her human self and placed her hands on her hips. Her burning brown orbs made Allen want to cringe away, but instead, he rose to the challenge.

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't have almost been killed if a certain someone hadn't disappeared, making everyone in the Order panic." His retort took Cat by surprise, and she dropped her arms. "I mean, come on, what was with the blood in your room? And why weren't you in the cathedral?"

Looking away, Cat held out one hand. Allen looked down and saw how bloody it was. Acting on instinct, he reached out and grasped her hand with his own, his eyes scanning to see how she had been wounded. On closer inspection he noticed the blood had come from the area around her finger tips, where they looked to be in a rather sad condition. "What…?"

"I got frustrated after everything I learned about my parents yesterday, okay? I went back to my room, started pacing, and then I started scratching the hell out of one of the walls. I kept doing it, even after my paws – er, hands – began to bleed. I left early this morning after snapping out of it to go find some herbs. I just didn't want to go to the infirmary to have a lecture and then have everyone wondering why my hands were bandaged." The girl's answer had turned into a bit of a rant towards the end, and Allen couldn't help but chuckle slightly. When he earned a glare from the girl, he bent his head down and kissed the back of her hand.

"We thought you had been attacked. Wouldn't it have been better to admit you had a bit of a mental breakdown rather than go out and make everyone fear for your safety?" Pleased when he saw the girl nodding, Allen began to tug on her hand to lead her back to the thicket. There stood Link, inspecting the twin trails created by the bear when pushed by Cat. He stood when he noticed Allen and Cat, and looked like he was going to berate them for a brief moment. Instead, he said nothing when he noticed Cat's hands.

"What kind of herbs are we looking for?" Allen asked Cat.

She tilted her head for a moment, thinking. It had been awhile since she had gathered herbs out here, and it was difficult to remember which ones grew nearby. "Uh…"

"After we wash the wound out, some yarrow and comfrey will be good enough. A pulp to put on the wounds should be sufficient enough," Link answered in Cat's place. It was scary for the two teens to learn that the blond-haired man knew so much about herbs, but at the moment, they didn't care.

"I'll take her to the nearest river to clean the blood off-"

"I can do it myself," Cat snapped at Allen.

"Then I'll help Link look for those two herbs."

"Knowing you, you'd find something poisonous." Link retorted.

In the end, Allen followed after Cat to the river where he sat on a tree trump. Moving the dirt around with his boot, the boy began to pout like a child as he watched the girl clean her hands in the water. Finally Cat returned with her hands rid of the dirt and dried blood. However, even as she sat down next to her friend, she cradled her hands softly. They were still sore and stinging, and she was beginning to reflect on the error of her ways.

"I didn't mean to make everyone worry…I just didn't want to seem so weak."

At this, Allen looked over at her and patted her head. "We all want to be strong, but it's okay to be frustrated every now and again." Pausing, he turned his eyes skyward to look at the blue sky and the drifting clouds. "Still, you kind of overreacted."

"I know," she muttered, pulling her legs up to her chest. There was a long time for silence before Link returned with a bowl in one of his hands. Within the bowl was the pulp he had spoken of; a mixture of yarrow and comfrey. Cat allowed him to rub her fingers with it before pulling bandages out from the bag he had with him.

"Is that why you brought that with you? Although I can't say I've never seen you carry a bag before." Allen stated as he watched the man wrap the bandages around Cat's hands. He barely acknowledged that Allen had spoken, which made the boy want to stick his tongue out at him.

"So that's where the pestle came from, eh?" Cat tried this time, using her elbow to gesture to the bowl where Link had mashed the two herbs together. He gave an affirmative nod. "Link…It's really weird for a man to carry around a mortar and pestle."

"I didn't ask for your judgment!" He snapped. He tugged on the bandage sharply, making the girl hiss at him. "There, it's done."

The girl rolled her eyes, briefly debating whether or not to smack the blond man upside the head or not. The two teens waited for Link to clean the mortar and pestle in the river before they set back off to the Order. Cat who was finally enjoying the fresh air and the wonderful day nudged Allen in the side. "Thanks for worrying."

"Anytime," he responded, "just never pull a disappearing act ever again, okay? I'm getting really tired of trying to find you and getting myself nearly eaten." The smile he wore on his face was tired and not really amused. It was the truth; if Cat left again, he wasn't going to go parading out to find her. He had enough, and he was trying to convey that to his friend.

Cat noticed the look, and nodded. "I won't do that again, and if I do…you have permission to beat the crap out of me and leave me for dead." The boy snorted in response, taking her promise to heart.

"And thanks for helping, Link." Cat then said around Allen. The blond man didn't respond yet again, but Cat didn't care. Even though the day had started out rather crappy, it was finally looking a bit better. "What do you think about a picnic?"

Surprised as he was, Allen grinned widely. "Sounds great."

…X…

_Known to be a rebel wild at heart  
I've been that way right from the start  
I can be much more but I'll be nothing less, but a mess  
And I might be a weird one but I'm smart  
Yeah, you know I'm quite a piece of art…_

…X…

Ah, sorry about a lack of an update last week. No excuses, I promise.

Link, why do you carry a mortar and pestle around? That's just weird!

-coughs- Anyways, thanks for reading! You guys are the best!

…I hate/love it when characters write their own story.

Next Chapter: When Cat, Sol, and Kacela go to the Sahara desert, what could go wrong?

Oh, maybe Wisely and Fiddler decide to show up?

-PA


	12. Forever or Never

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: The chapter the friend who created Kacela has been waiting for. –chuckles-

Anyways, after this, there's another mission chapter, so enjoy!

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Forever or Never

Cinema Bizarre

…X…

"Why the hell did I get stuck with you two?" Endless white sand greeted the two Exorcists and the Finder. The moon shined down on the Sahara desert, chilling the three down to the bone. It was ridiculous, being sent here during the dead of night. At least it was a bit better than dealing with the extreme heat.

"Keep mouthing off like that and your grave will be out here," Cat warned Sol. Kacela trudged alongside the irate she-wolf, her hands grasping the straps of her bag. It was a pain to lug it around, but it was practically apart of the uniform. Looking up at the clear sky, she smiled slightly though; she had always wanted to come to Africa. She had been born in Spain, but she knew her ancestors came from this place, which was the basis of her wish to journey to this continent.

"Hmph," Sol huffed, his eyes scanning the area with little interest.

Kacela felt her foot catch on something in the sand, and Cat grabbed her jacket to prevent her from falling. "Thank you!" The dark-skinned said. Cat merely nodded, her eyes calm and patient. In a way, the girl was reminded of her apprentices when she was around Kacela or Timothy. While Kacela was like gentle, kind Kinta, Timothy was vibrant and a trouble-maker like Ayon.

"Let's keep moving before angry Boy A up there starts complaining," Cat whispered to Kacela with a wink. The other girl nodded, and they continued their fruitless trek across the white sand.

Suddenly, Sol threw out one arm, signaling for the two females behind him to stop. While Kacela remained where she was standing, Cat moved forward. Sol was about to turn around and snap at her for moving when the sand in front of them exploded.

"What the fuck?" The male snapped, covering his face with the sleeve of his Exorcist's jacket. He felt himself being tugged down, and he growled in anger. Who on earth had the audacity to grab him?

Opening his amber orbs, he saw Cat latched onto his arm, her eyes shut closed. "Just stay down until the sand settles!" Upon saying that, she started coughing violently. Sol gritted his teeth and remained on his knees until the sand finally did settle. Wrenching his arm away from Cat's grasp, he stood up, his eyes set upon two figures only a few yards away from them.

"Who are you?" He snapped, already feeling his Innocence's presence tugging at the edge of his mind. It wanted to be released, and in all honesty, he had never experienced such a feeling of animosity.

The two males who were standing across from the members of the Order shared a smile. "I'm Wisely and this is Fiddler," the one with the turban said, "and we're from the Noah Clan."

"Wisely!" Cat hissed, already in her wolf form. Sol blinked, unsure of the two apparent enemies. His master had taught him about the Noah, but he had only understood bits and pieces. Now two living members of the said clan stood before him, posing a threat to their mission. Without a second thought, he called his Innocence out and felt the familiar grip of the bow in his right hand. Pulling his left hand up, the energy swirled until a real arrow was formed.

"What do you want? You'd better speak quickly, otherwise…" The teen let the threat trail off, his arrow already pin-pointed on the man wearing the turban. To him it appeared that Cat didn't know the other one as well as the more talkative freak, so he decided he had to be more of a threat.

Wisely shrugged, stepping forward with a smirk plastered on his face. "We just wanted to have some fun with you Exorcists…although you appear to be new." Right after the Noah had finished speaking, Sol narrowed his eyes and let the arrow loose. Wisely easily dodged it though, shocking Sol with his speed. "Ah, have I surprised you?"

In the mean time, Cat used the diversion and sprang forward to sink her teeth into Wisely's arm. The Noah made a noise of annoyance, and knocked the wolf away. Cat came back for more, though, ignoring everything and everyone else in the world. With the lust for blood controlling her actions, she no longer had any instinct for self-preservation.

"You're annoying," Fiddler snapped out of nowhere. Cat skidded to a halt, her paws finding no purchase on the slick sand. Feeling her eyes widen, the wolf watched as Fiddler did nothing more than move his head ever so slightly. When the triangle instruments he used as earrings clanged against the edge of his jaw, it appeared as if nothing had happened. Moments later, Sol and Kacela watched as Cat began clawing at her own head while howling in pain.

"Cat?" Kacela cried, showing more concern over the wolf than the male Exorcist.

"That was a high-pitched noise only that vile mutt can hear," Fiddler answered. He seemed to be amused, the corner of his mouth twitching up a bit.

Wisely turned to address his comrade, an unpleasant smile on his face; "You can have fun with the wolf…I'll take care of these two." Turning back, he scoffed as Sol rushed him, his sword glinting in the light of the moon.

In the mean time, Kacela trudged through the sand, trying to reach Cat. The wolf was getting tossed around by Fiddler like she was nothing more than a rag doll. Even though it was dark and everything was so confusing, Kacela could still see blood running from the wolf's ears. She didn't know if whatever sound had disturbed Cat before was still audible to her, but Kacela knew the importance of a wolf's hearing. Since a canine's hearing was strong, the Finder feared that if she didn't help soon, the wolf would be in even bigger trouble.

Finally closing in on the fighters, Kacela bit her lip when she saw Cat lying on the sand. Scarlet drops were scattered here and there, making the landscape around Cat appear to be a strange painting of sorts. She watched as the black mass finally got back up on its feet, the bright eyes staring accusingly at the Noah before it. "Damn you," she panted. Fiddler merely smiled, and the wolf shot forward, fangs bared in a menacing snarl.

Kacela glanced over at Sol, who was already lying on the sand as well, his Innocence deactivated. Glancing around, she wondered where the Noah named Wisely had gone off to.

"Hey," said a voice behind her. Turning on her heel, the Finder yanked a dagger out from her jacket and pointed it towards him. Wisely looked mildly surprised, but didn't let the emotion linger long. "You're a pretty interesting human." He stepped closer, his eyes locked on Kacela, who was shaking like a leaf. For some reason, it felt as if she couldn't move, even though her brain was screaming for her to run. Holding out one hand in her direction, the girl gasped as her head felt like it was being split in two. Bright lights danced before her eyes, and she fell to her knees, her hands gripping her head.

"Kacela!" Cat cried, having gotten up and saw what the Noah was doing. She recalled his mental abilities and how he could do something like that, and now she was staring at the results. Her friend was on the ground, writhing in pain and biting her lip until it bled. Clutching at her pained skull with her hands, Kacela shut her eyes, ignoring everything else in the world. The pain was practically unbearable, and that was the only thing she could concentrate on.

Managing to find her feet again, the wolf tried to head towards Kacela, only to receive a swift kick to the side by Fiddler. Hearing a few ribs crack, she gasped in pain and landed once more in a heap. Now that all three of them had been rendered immobilized, the situation seemed hopeless.

_Dammit, _Cat swore inwardly, her brain working frantically for a solution. She refused to give up and lie down and wait for death. Yet she had lost strength in all of her limbs, and her vision was already going blurry from blood loss. "Fuck," she wheezed out loud.

"Feeling weak, mutt?" Wisely taunted, leaning down towards her. He stayed a good distance away though, still afraid that the wolf might pop up and try to rip his face off.

"I'm going to kick your ass," she retorted.

"Isn't that my line?" A new voice huffed, making the Noah look to the side in surprise. A black-haired Exorcist stood there, one hand sitting idly on the hilt of his sword. His dangerous eyes watched the scene with almost mild interest, seemingly annoyed that he had to come out here. He was clad in black, with the exception of the tan shoulder coat some of the Exorcists had taken to wearing, and he had a red tie in his hair.

"Kanda!" Cat was happy to see him at the moment, simply because it meant they had a chance to get away. Hearing a scuffling noise, the wolf looked over to see Sol finally stand back up. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, his golden eyes alight with fire.

"Hmm, this just got even more interesting," Wisely stated as he turned fully towards the new arrival. "Fiddler, you deal with the other stubborn kid."

Fiddler nodded, more than happy to have a chance at killing any Exorcist. He started towards Sol, who wasn't going to tolerate him whatsoever. After they became locked in combat, it was Wisely and Kanda who were at it; memories of the world-wide battle spurring them on.

Transforming, Cat just barely managed to edge her to Kacela's side. The sand stuck to her wounds and stung like hell, but she didn't concentrate on that. She just needed to calm the other girl down. "Kacela," she snapped, capturing the Finder's attention for the time being, "just relax. Your struggling will just make the pain more intense."

"I'm sorry," the girl with the French-braid said, taking several deep breaths. It was hard not to dwell on the throbbing in her skull. "What was that just now?" Kacela spat, her eyes still closed.

Cat was prodding at her, trying to make sure that Kacela didn't have any other injuries. "Wisely uses his mind to do things to your body. I've only seen him do it once before, but it was pretty damn horrific."

Kacela suddenly frowned, and Cat wondered if she gave the girl a bad image. "If my head wasn't killing me right now, I'd kick you for swearing."

"Still playing that tune?" Cat mocked, glad to see the Finder was at least able to still make threats. Running her hands over the girl's head with a feather-light touch, she deemed it wasn't serious enough to need to leave the two males to fight. She still found her attention reverting back to the four fighting men, her lips pressed into a thin line. Sol already seemed to be at his limits, but Kanda still had plenty of energy. However, she feared that both Wisely and Fiddler would gang up on him soon. Frowning, she decided she would invoke the use of the Ark herself, Central's warnings be damned.

Kacela finally opened her eyes, having felt that Cat had gone still. She blinked a few times and watched as the brown-haired teen clasped her hands together and bowed her head slightly, as if in prayer. Opening her mouth to say something, Kacela stopped when a melody began pouring out of her comrade's mouth. It was soft and sweet, but haunting and dark at the same time, which confused Kacela. What was singing supposed to do?

Suddenly a thin white line began to appear near them before it transformed into stark white double-doors. While everyone spared a passing glance at the doors that had appeared out of nowhere, it didn't mean the fighting had stopped. Kanda continued to charge Wisely with Mugen, and Sol was trying to figure out how to get away from Fiddler. Strangely the Noah hadn't tried to use sound to his advantage anymore, but simply settled for a brawl-style fight. Was it because Sol could no longer activate his Innocence and he perhaps felt it was unfair to battle him without it?

Cat's arms looped around Kacela, figuring that she needed to at least get her into the safety of the Ark before she came back for the two idiot men. Kacela gritted her teeth to keep from crying out, and allowed the shorter girl to support her. Humming a single note, the doors swung open as if someone had done it for them. Glancing at Cat's face out of the corner of her eye, Kacela was shocked to see her usually brown orbs were turning into a more golden shade.

Setting Kacela down where she was leaning against of the white buildings, Cat turned back around to leave yet again. Instead, she was nearly bowled over by both Sol and Kanda as they came rushing in. "Close the gate!" Kanda shouted. He had his hands on the knobs, pushing his weight against the doors as they shook. Certain that the two Noah clan members were trying to get inside, Cat strode towards the doors. She stood next to Kanda, who looked down at her with a quizzical gaze, but as she placed one hand flat against the ivory-colored doors, they seemed to disappear into nothing. Finally the Ark was quiet yet again.

Returning to the other female's side, Cat kneeled down and offered a bit of a smile. "Let's go back home, shall we?"

As relieved as she was to see Cat's eyes were changing back to their familiar brown hue, she was sad they didn't accomplish their mission. "What about the Innocence?"

"That was probably why those two were there; they were looking for it as well." The sixteen-year-old responded with a gentle voice. "Now that we've left, they'll search for it until they find it."

"And what will they do with it?" Kacela inquired next.

Looking away, the wolf didn't immediately respond. "If they find it…they'll destroy it."

"So in other words, we failed." Hearing Sol's voice made Cat cast a glare in his direction. She didn't appreciate his bluntness, in a situation like this. Giving Kanda a pointed look, the samurai gave a tiny nod in respond.

As he came near, she gestured to Kacela, who was now silent. "Please help her. I'll be fine, and I have a feeling Sol will, too." He said nothing, just merely frowned. Cat knew he didn't like having to touch or deal with other people, but she knew she couldn't help Kacela back by herself. The wounds she had received were taking their toll on her, and it was hard to even stay alert.

Sol had already started to walk in whatever direction he wished, not realizing he had no idea how to get back. The only thought that plagued his mind was the fact that he had wished Cat had died out there on those endless sands.

…X…

"Hello Miranda," Cat chirped from where she sat upright in an infirmary bed. The kind, older woman sat down next to her bed, smoothing the wrinkles in her skirt as she did so.

"How are you feeling?" She asked simply.

The teen merely shrugged before scratching at one of the gauze pads on her face. "I'm feeling okay, but the head nurse won't let me out of here. It's somewhat lonely without having the company of others. Actually, you're the first person to visit me." While she didn't mind the peace and quiet, she had expected for someone to come around and bother her.

"Well, Allen and Krory are heading to Romania for a mission…Bookman and Lavi are gathering data in Wales, and almost everyone else is busy as well."

"So that explains why it has been quiet around here," Cat muttered. Miranda offered a bit of a smile, wondering if the girl missed her rambunctious companions already. "So Allen and Krory are off to Romania, huh? That's bound to bring back some memories for the two of them."

Miranda nodded with a smile on her face. "Krory told me about how he met Allen and Lavi, and while it seemed scary at times, it also sounded rather amusing. It was especially interesting when he told me Allen almost got his head eaten by a loving plant." Together the two females shared a laugh, entertained by the mental picture of a plant chomping away on Allen's head.

"I think things really like biting Allen…especially his head." Cat's chuckles broke off into a cough, and she motioned for the glass of water sitting by her bedside. Miranda gave it to her, and the wolf chugged it down without a second thought. "Thanks."

Miranda merely nodded, and stood up to leave. "I'm sorry, but I promised Chaoji I'd train with him a bit, since Kanda's out."

Practically shooing her away, Cat bid farewell to Miranda before leaning back against the bed's frame. "Well, let's hope no one comes back in pieces, eh?" Grinning wickedly, she almost couldn't wait for Allen and Krory to return. "When Allen comes back, I'm going to make fun of him for almost getting eaten by a plant."

Sounded like a plan to her.

…X…

_I'm not gonna live forever  
Said I'm not gonna live forever  
Gotta make it now or never_

_Forever or never…_

…X…

**GAH, IT FINALLY LET ME UPDATE! HALLELUJAH! Anyways, sorry for such a LONG delay, but the system was going haywire on me. :3**

And yes, I took a complete and random stab in the dark as to Fiddler's powers.

Well, I mean, come on; all we know about so far is that he uses those weird parasites. -shudders-

Next Chapter: It's all about Allen and Krory's trip back to Romania!

Will they FINALLY secure a piece of Innocence for the Order?

-PA


	13. A Whisper and a Clamor

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: I was really looking forward to this chapter. Hehe.

Ah, Allen, things really like biting you, eh?

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

A Whisper and a Clamor

Anberlin

…X…

Trudging through a dark forest at night while it was raining was not Allen's idea of a mission. Krory was stumbling around behind him, even less sure of what they were doing and where they were going. Timcanpy had finally taken refuge in Allen's coat pocket since he had nearly been blown away several times already. Needless to say, the two men plus golem were not pleased by their current predicament.

"For having lived here your whole life, I thought you would know the area a bit better!" Allen shouted over the roar of the wind.

Krory lifted his head and apologized to the English teenager. "I'm sorry, but I never left the castle because of the angry villagers!" Allen in turn offered his own apology, having forgotten how cruel the townspeople had been to Krory in the past. Calling him a vampire was one thing, but calling him a monster had only served to piss the boy off. Shaking such negative thoughts away, the silver-haired boy looked up and noticed that they were finally nearing the area of interest.

_There had better be a piece of Innocence there this time, or I'm going to be really mad. _He fumed inwardly, getting tired of not finding Innocence at all, or having the Earl's followers beat them to it. It had been a long time since they had acquired a piece of said substance, and Allen really wanted to get one finally. Recalling how the members of the Noah clan could destroy Innocence, fury coursed through his veins. Yet that fury quickly turned into worry; since he was the 14th's host, did that mean he could possibly do the same? And what of Cat, since she was part Noah?

Growling into the wind, Allen bent his head forward and practically charged through the forest. Krory struggled to catch up, but came to a halt when he slammed into Allen's back. They were at the edge of a field that stretched for miles, and the mountains could be seen off in the distance. Gray clouds overhead rumbled and roared like a wild beast, sheets of rain falling down upon the land.

"I haven't seen weather like this for a long time," Krory whispered. The statement was more to himself than to Allen, but the boy heard it nonetheless.

"I think you may want to be quiet, Krory." The teen whispered over his shoulder, and the older male barely heard his words. "Come on," Allen suddenly said, grabbing Krory's wrist and dragging him into the field. Large rocks sat here and there, and wild grass, weeds, and flowers grew in abundance. The rain would make even more sprout and make the existing plants even taller, but the two Exorcists barely concentrated on that.

There were several large bodies were running alongside them, converging like a river, after all.

"What…?" Krory started, but he couldn't finish his sentence when a loud crack of thunder shook the sky and land. After his ears stopped ringing and his eyes cleared from seeing a blast of lightning, the Romanian man noticed they were cornered.

A pack of Eurasian wolves were surrounding them, what subspecies they were neither males could identify. Larger than timber wolves and regular gray wolves, this pack was formidable in every aspect.

"Are they rabid, or are they just hungry?" Allen mused out loud, trying to figure out why the wolves were attacking them. He decided it had to be the latter reason, because none of them were showing any signs of having rabies.

Krory gulped, pressing his back closer to Allen's. "It'd be nice to have Cat around right now where she could talk to them."

"Are you sure that'd do any good?" Allen retorted, voice thick with dry amusement. He doubted even the aforementioned she-wolf could talk their way out of this. Already figuring he'd have to invoke his Innocence to get out of this mess, he pulled the glove off his left hand. "Krory, we're going to have to fight them until we can get away safely, okay?" He saw out of the corner of his eye the older man had nodded, but in that instance failed to notice one of the wolves had taken the initiative to attack.

Feeling fangs dig into his exposed left arm, the teen twisted around. He tried to shake the wolf off, since really didn't want to try to invoke his weapon while the wolf still had a grip on him. Yet as the other wolves rushed forward and began latch onto Allen and Krory, the boy finally called to his Innocence. Releasing it sent a few of the canines flying, but they came right back for more. Batting them around with his cursed arm, he was surprised to see Tim fly out of his pocket and start nipping at the wolves. Shrugging it off for the time being, Allen spun around to lend a hand to Krory.

His help wasn't needed, however, considering Krory was snapping back at the wolves with his own teeth. Mildly surprised by his friend's animal-like behavior, Allen turned back where he could concentrate on the rest of the pack. Soon the three had managed to send the majority of the wolves running with minor injuries, and only a few remained. After having watched the movements of the wolves during the fight, Allen had spotted the Alpha and once he slammed the wolf into the ground, the rest of them turned tail.

"Are you okay?" Allen huffed, his lungs burning as they filled with oxygen. Krory nodded, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth. Allen had a feeling it wasn't his though, but had been wolf's blood.

"You?" The black-and-white-haired man questioned in return. Nodding, Allen let his arm return to normal and plopped down to sit in the grass. The rain had finally stopped, but the wind was still howling fiercely. Tired as he was, the boy knew they had to continue on where they could go search for the Innocence. Taking Krory's offered hand, he got back on his feet and nodded to the man.

"Let's go."

…X…

Finally arriving at the abandoned castle, the trio were looking everywhere for the Innocence. Frustrated when they couldn't find its location, Allen sat on the dusty stone floor, his hands on his knees as he thought. Where would rich people who owned a castle that was nearly a hundred years old place such a treasure? Crying out in pain when Timcanpy flew right into his head, the boy looked up and blinked when he noticed Krory was gone. "Krory…?" He called softly into the darkness. There was no reply, and now Allen was sure that he was going to have to find the man as well as the Innocence.

Walking around with Tim flying besides him, the sixteen-year-old continued to ponder the location of the Innocence. He knew it had to be some place where it would safe, but he felt that he and his companion had scoured the entirety of the castle. What was left for them to check?

Spotting Krory's mop of hair in the low light, Allen quickened his pace. "Krory!" The man turned with a puzzled look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Well, doesn't this section of wall look weird to you?"

And he was right.

On that particular wall they were looking at, what appeared to be a symbol of wings spreading out dominated the stone. Reaching out, Allen traced the wing shapes with his right hand, his eyes glued to the symbol. "What could it mean?" Suddenly he touched the circle in the middle of the two wings, and the wall swung forward. Having been bracing himself against said wall, Allen went tumbling forward into the darkness, leaving Tim and Krory. They immediately followed, although Krory being more careful than the younger male as he placed one hand against the wall and walked down the stairs. Not too far down the wall slammed shut behind him, and Krory swallowed loudly. He really hoped there was another way out.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the man found Allen lying there, seemingly in one piece. The boy got up and looked around, seeing nothing but darkness. "What on earth happened?"

"You touched the circle and the wall opened. It's closed now, and I have no idea how we can get back out." Allen really hadn't expected a response, and shrugged to himself when Krory answered him. Managing to stand up, Allen started forward, his sense of touch, smell, and hearing the only things able to guide him. Finally he stopped, having spotted a soft light not far ahead of them.

"You see that?"

"Yeah," Krory responded.

They continued towards the light, and turned into a larger, cavernous area. They were below the main part of the castle now, and there were a few places where the walls had crumbled. Spotting something with a greenish glow towards the back, they headed along a narrow strip of stone to an alter-like area. Water surrounded them on all sides, dark, quiet, and still. Realizing the glowing object was the Innocence they had been searching for, Allen grasped it automatically. "We found it!" He cheered. Krory smiled and Tim flew in loops around the two Exorcists.

"But how do we get out of here?" Krory's question cut the celebration short, but Allen turned his determined eyes to the cracking wall.

"We're going to make our own way out, that's how." Stalking towards the back part of the alter area Allen called to his Innocence once again. Feeling the familiar tendrils of Crown Clown's presence wrapping through his body and mind, Allen's eyes suddenly flashed open. Striking out with Edge End, a section of the bricks easily collapsed, and once the dust cleared, sunlight poured into the dark cavern. "Come on!" Allen called to Krory. Tim flew out ahead of the two men as they climbed out, and began fluttering around in the warm summer air.

The two looked up, shielding their eyes using their hands from the bright sun. "How long were we in there?" Allen cried suddenly. It had been night when they entered, but it was now nearly noon, with the sun at its peak.

Flopping down onto the soft grass, Allen let the ghost of a smile appear on his face. They had found the piece of Innocence, and now it was time to go home.

"Home…"

…X…

_For most who live and breathe_

_Hell is never knowing who they are now  
Finally safe from the outside trapped in what you know  
Are you safe from yourself? _

_Can you escape all by yourself?_

…X…

Sorry it was a bit shorter, but I wanted it to end on a positive note before it turned depressing.

Anyways, thanks for the continued support! I love you guys. :3

Next Chapter: Free day for the members of the Order!

During a gorgeous summer day, they decide to have a party outside!

-PA


	14. We

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Okay, cheesy chapter, I know.

But I still hope that you enjoy it. :3

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

We

Joy Williams

…X…

Stretching, Sol stopped in front of one of the many windows in the cathedral. Blinking a few times, he saw down below that members of the Order were moving tables and food outside. Mildly curious as to what as going on, he slipped downstairs. Sure, he wasn't supposed to be out of the infirmary yet, but he couldn't deal with the same white walls any longer. If the head nurse wanted to skewer him later, then so be it.

Stopping short as Winters walked past, carrying a table using only one hand, the boy looked around warily. Finally tired of getting in everyone's way – and having them get in his way - he ducked into a smaller hallway. Sol had used these small hallways many times already to get from one part of the Order to another so that he didn't have to deal with people. It really hadn't taken him too long after coming here to draw a detailed map of the halls and landmarks in his head, so he used them to his advantage.

Finally getting to the main hallway in half the time it normally did, Sol followed the crowd and wandered around outside. He kept his hands in his pockets, not really in the mood to look like a friendly person who wanted to help. If anything, he wanted to be left alone.

"Hey, Sol!" Feeling his eye twitch, the amber-eyed boy turned and watched in annoyance as Lavi came bounding over. If there was an award for being an annoying idiot, he was sure Bookman Jr. would win it every time.

With a scathing voice, Sol spoke; "What do you want?"

"Aw, that's no way to treat your pal!" Lavi said as he wrapped one arm around the older boy's shoulder. Dragging him across the empty lot in front of the mighty cathedral, Lavi planned on having the other teen join in on the fun. "We decided to have a bit of a party, before fall comes and it gets colder. It'll be fun; trust me!"

"Trust is a very hard thing to come by," Sol responded eerily. The red-head blinked at him once, mildly surprised by his companion's dark attitude. What had turned him that way, he was unsure of, but he knew the truth would come out eventually. The same had happened with almost everyone else in the Order, so Sol's past would be known one of these days.

Lenalee and Miranda, who had been talking to each other, turned and waved to the two boys as they came near. Marie was off speaking to Bookman, Chaoji was with his two friends, and Timothy was being reprimanded by an angry Emilia. Life seemed normal, and the warm summer day was working wonders on everyone's morale. Well, with a few exceptions, of course.

Sol barely listened as Lavi began chatting with the two women. All he could do at the moment was picture getting Lavi close enough to the edge of the cliff where he could push him off and send him to a watery grave below. Although knowing the tenacious bastard, he'd probably live and come back to annoy him some more. Having had enough of idle chit-chat, Sol suddenly pulled away from the small group and started towards the mountains. If he could find a quiet place to sit and meditate at, he knew he would be a much happier person.

Ignoring Lavi's pitiful whining from behind him, the nineteen-year-old stalked off into the forest.

After hiking up the hillside and winding his way through the undergrowth for several minutes, Sol found the perfect place to stop. There was a large, flat outcrop that peered out from the trees where anyone could get a perfect view of the ocean and the land below. Sitting down on it, Sol watched the summer sun's reflection dance on the crystalline water, his face devoid of emotion. Even from here he could still see tiny dots that represented the members of the Order moving around near headquarters. He still didn't understand why they were so keen on having a pointless celebration, and he sure as hell didn't want to be apart of it.

Hearing the rustle of a bush nearby though, Sol looked over with his cold eyes. It was none other than Cat.

Sol sighed deeply, making the girl glare at him. "What is it? Did that idiot Lavi send you here?"

"No, I came of my own accord. I followed your scent because I was curious."

"About…?"

"If you were going to get eating by the wildlife out here or end up getting yourself killed somehow," the wolf deadpanned.

"I see," Sol merely said, turning his attention back to the blue sky and ocean. He was attempting to ignore the girl he hated the most right now as she edged closer. Finally looking down at her, he frowned deeply. "What?"

Cat tilted her head, obviously trying not to snap at the idiot and attack him. "Why don't you come down and join everyone? It'll be fun; you'll see!" When Sol looked unconvinced, Cat went on. "I know that some of the others are hard to deal with, and it's not always easy to be able to tolerate them, but they're good people. You should give them-"

"What, a chance?" Sol suddenly dropped down from his perch and backed the girl into a tree. Placing one hand on the bark beside her head, his amber eyes stared down at her with pure fury. "I don't think anyone deserves a second chance."

"Even yourself?" Cat's voice came out as a quiet whisper, and the boy felt his eyes widen. He hadn't really ever thought of himself being deserving of a second chance, and the girl's words had caught him off guard. Gritting his teeth, Sol dropped his arm and started back the way he came, leaving Cat to stand there by herself.

"Dammit…"

…X…

Allen pouted slightly, barely paying attention to the ball of boundless energy known as Sora Rykier. She was getting angry that she hadn't found Cat yet, and was proclaiming that the show wouldn't go on without the other wolf. Finally, much to everyone's relief, Cat appeared from out of nowhere and Sora was appeased.

For now.

"I could hear you caterwauling from up there!" Pointing towards one of the many hills on the mountainside, Cat huffed when she saw Sora stick her tongue out at her.

"You kept me and everyone else waiting! Are we going to do this or what?" Without waiting for a response, Sora began dragging the doe-eyed Exorcist towards the area the band from the Black Howl Club had set up.

"Wait…what?"

"She had no idea what was awaiting her," Krory observed. The group of Exorcists was pretty much as close to the make-shift stage as possible, their eyes set on Cat. Said girl was shaking like a leaf, not really wanting to have to sing for them. Hearing Sora called out a number, Cat's mind scrambled to remember the song before the music started. Practically ready to pass out, when her brown orbs landed on Allen and her friends, the wolf suddenly became calm. As if a soothing hand was pressed to the flat of her back, supporting her, Cat allowed herself to be carried away by the music.

Singing was both comforting and painful to the girl, who was constantly depressed by her past. Her mother, Yuki, had been known by many for her beautiful voice. So Cat felt like she was being compared to her mother and had to be reminded of what she had lost as well. At the same time, it was a way to express her feelings without saying them outright. Feeling strength course through her veins as the song started, Cat no longer felt any of the fear she had only moments ago.

_Music is the universal language of the world!_

…X…

"You were great, as per usual!" Sora chirped as she elbowed Cat thoughtfully. The brown-haired girl almost looked sheepish as she allowed some of her friends to shower her with praise. It was nice to hear such kind words, but the wolf didn't take them to heart where she didn't boost her ego. After all, she didn't want to end up being a stuck-up bitch.

"Come and get it!" Jerry's voice suddenly called, making everyone turn to look. Piles of food on several tables made everyone's mouth water, and people began to rush to get some. Cat stayed behind with Sora though, who wasn't interested with food at the time.

Turning her attention to Cat, she touched her friend's shoulder lightly. "So, how are things going?"

"Oh, everyone's doing fine, and there haven't been too many hard missions as of late. Actually, I'm assigned to leave on a mission in two days time. Sounds easy enough. Oh, and watching Timothy practice with Cloud and study with Emilia is the funniest thing in the world-"

Stopping her friend's rant, Sora shook her head and chuckled. "That's not what I meant, dear."

Cat's face turned puzzled, her eyes posing a question. "Then what did you mean?"

Rolling her eyes, Sora placed her hands on her hips. "I was talking about how things are going between you and Allen. I'm dying to know, you see!" Raising one curt eyebrow while she waited for a response, Sora watched as a myriad of emotions crossed Cat's face. Uncertainty, doubt, worry, and a bit of a blush were among some of the things Sora noticed, and it amused her greatly.

"Well…uh…" Pausing, Cat sighed. She might as well tell her friend the truth. "I have to thank you for making us spend time together. He actually picked me up bridal-style and carried me to the forest when I couldn't get the hatch open."

"Ah, so that's why it was still locked when I returned, but you guys were gone!" Noticing Cat's narrowed gaze, she coughed to cover it up. "How cute though! I wish Aaron was strong enough to do that!"

"Yeah, well Aaron isn't stupid enough to bite your tongue."

"Allen did what?" Sora asked, eyes wide. Cat blushed heavily, realizing her mistake too late.

"I-ignore that statement!"

"How can I? You just threw a mighty tasty-looking bone in front of my nose, and you know I'm going to want more."

"Well, you're not getting any more!" Cat responded, practically shaking with anger and embarrassment. It had been a long time since she had not only slipped up when talking to someone, but had gossiped like a pathetic human. Turning away, Cat grunted when she slammed into someone. Looking up, she noticed she had walked into none other than the very boy they had been talking about. He had food with him and was munching away merrily, but the girl was worried he had heard her conversation with Sora. "H-hey Allen…"

"You're not going to get any food?" Sora watched and listened quietly, studying the two as they argued over the matter of food. Allen was saying that she needed to eat more since she had parasitic-type Innocence, but the girl insisted she ate enough as is. Thinking back to Cat's relationship with Night, another wolf in the pack, Sora realized that they had never brought out the best in each other like Allen seemed to do with said girl. Smiling lightly as Cat finally accepted some dango from Allen, she was even more surprised to see the boy plant a quick kiss on her friend's forehead. Cat's blush merely got heavier, and she looked away as she munched quietly on the stick of sweet bean curds wrapped in dough.

Looking up at the hot summer sun with one hand shielding her pale-blue eyes, Sora prayed that nothing would change. She wanted moments like these to last forever, and she couldn't bear to think of any of her friends getting hurt. While she had only known the members of the Order for only about a half a year, she still felt strongly connected to them. And understanding them and their world possibly meant understanding Cat more.

Bowing her head and clasping her hands together, Sora sent up a small prayer as she listened to the voices of the world.

…X…

_We are not that different from each other  
We just want somebody to discover  
Who we really are when we drop our guard  
That love has gotta start with you and me…_

…X…

Here's a fun fact: I've tried dango before, and it's freaking delicious.

-coughs- Anyways, I thought there should be another happy chapter before we get onto some serious stuff.

-not really, but it's late, so forgive my crap-

Oh hey, it's a mini-plot that extends three chapters!

Next Chapter: Cat gets captured by Tyki during a mission, and is taken to Sheryl's estate.

What could possibly go wrong?

…A lot…that's what!

-PA


	15. Her Name Is Alice

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Gosh, I was really looking forward to writing this. Forgive me; I had a dream about this, and had to write it.

That is the reason why I decided to make this into a mini-plot. It will extend for this chapter, and the next 2 chapters.

THEN, we shall return back to Sol. Gosh, he's supposed to be the main guy in this one, and yet he's not. -laughs-

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Her Name is Alice

Shinedown

…X…

Blood flowed freely from wounds and dripped onto the ground below. A brown-haired girl clutched at her right arm, trying to staunch the blood flow. It had been a long time she had felt so weak from fighting a mere Akuma, but perhaps it wasn't an ordinary Akuma at all. It was a Level Four; the worst of all the known kinds, the girl had struggled to finish it by herself. Having been made to go on a mission without even the aid of Finders, Cat was really screwed when the Level Four had appeared. It had been the bane of her existence for the past hour and a half, and even though she had destroyed it, she was injured badly.

Gritting her teeth, Cat looked up at the light of the crescent moon, her hazel eyes shining with pain. The wound to her right arm wasn't the only one that was bleeding heavily, and her vision was beginning to blur rapidly. Finally sitting down, the wolf closed her eyes and prayed for the pain to just go away. She knew she had to try to get back to the Order, but it was hard to do so when one's body felt like it was on fire. Hearing the snap of a small, dry twig, Cat's eyes widened and her head snapped up.

"Good evening," a calm voice said. The wolf could have groaned or started crying at that point, figuring she was now as good as dead. Not ten feet from her stood Tyki, one of the members of the Clan of Noah and a lackey of the Earl. Feeling her nose twitch slightly in the beginnings of a snarl, the girl met the man's gold eyes with unwavering determination. They were eyes that swore she'd kill him if he miscalculated her abilities. Cat had taken the lives of several before because they had belittled her only to find their throat ripped out moments later.

"What the fuck do you want?" She finally stood back up, her eyes as cold as the arctic. Tyki merely smiled and started towards her again, making the girl think about transforming. Right as she felt the familiar tendrils of her Innocence's presence enter her mind, the Noah disappeared and reappeared behind her. Striking out with his right left arm, Tyki hit the back of Cat's neck, sufficiently knocking her out. Looking down at her unconscious form, he allowed a smirk to grace his face.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough."

…X…

Waking up, Cat immediately recalled what had happened while she was on her mission. The feeling of pain, of fire in her veins, and visions of a Noah standing before her still haunted her. Yet she felt no pain, except for a dull throb in the back of her head. Sitting up while rubbing her sore skull, Cat peered around the room. She was lying in a huge bed with a canopy above her. The curtains on one side were drawn back though, allowing her to see everything to her left.

It was a rather large room, considering her room at the Order was probably as big as the bed she was lying in. What looked like an expensive Persian rug was laid out next to the bed, and beyond that, on the same wall where the headboard of the bed was, there were two Venetian doors. Near the wall past those doors sat everything from exotic plants to a decorative bureau, a modest desk and chair, more ornamental objects, and then past that, another door.

Sliding out from under the silk covers, the confused Exorcist placed her bare feet on the fancy rug. Looking down at herself though, she noticed her wounds had been bandaged, and her clothes had been changed. "What the fuck," she whispered as she picked at the satin nightgown she was wearing. Feeling extremely suspicious, she threw the bed sheets aside and rose.

Padding to the double doors, the girl was greeted with blinding sunlight and a terrace all her own. Gripping the railing, she peered down and saw a large courtyard with trees, bushes, and several lush patches of grass surrounding a stone path. The path came from the building she was currently in and went several hundred yards to a wrought-iron gate that connected to stone walls that surrounded the entire perimeter.

Or so she guessed.

"Ah, you're awake." Spinning around, Cat was about to turn into a wolf until she noticed it was a young maid standing near the door to the terrace. She was tilting her head, and wore a navy-blue maid's uniform with white trimming. Her eyes were light green and she had brown hair. The woman really wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either. It was a look of indifference that had probably been a change after having the maid job for a bit of time.

"W-who are you?" Cat finally asked, swallowing the lump in her throat. She didn't know where she was, and all she wanted to do was escape. But to do that, she had to get proper clothes and find out how to get out of there.

The maid's head seemed to go sideways even more, and the wolf wondered why the older woman hadn't broken her neck yet. "I'm Erica; it's a pleasure to meet you…?"

"Cat," the cornered wolf instinctively answered.

"Well then, Miss Cat, why don't you get dressed and I'll take you to meet the master of the house." Without waiting for the wolf's reply, Erica bowed and turned around to leave. Cat watched as she walked back to the door and left.

There was a long moment of silence before Cat went back into the room from the balcony, shutting the double doors in the process. Looking back at the king-sized bed, she finally took notice of a blouse and a skirt lying at the end. Feeling her eye twitch with irritation, the girl quickly raided the armoire in the corner of the room and found a pair of black dress pants she knew would suit her much better. She wore the blouse, however, finding its soft, light-weight material to her liking. The sleeves were thin enough to see her arms through it, although the damn thing buttoned at her neck and felt like it was choking her.

Thank god it didn't have any ruffles.

Walking over to a dresser, the girl inspected herself in the mirror there and ran a brush through her hair. Setting the brush down, she frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "Why the hell am I getting dressed up for some fool I've never met? Why aren't I running away?" Perhaps curiosity had finally gotten the better of her, and she had lost it. Whatever the reason, the girl frowned at herself and sighed deeply. "As soon as I've figured out what's going on, I'm getting the hell outta here."

…X…

Cat had found Erica waiting patiently outside her room, and followed the maid as she led her through a few winding hallways towards what Cat assumed was the front of the mansion. They finally reached some stairs that went down into what seemed like a huge room that could easily transform into a ball room. Trying to control herself from sight-seeing, Cat followed Erica closely, knowing she'd probably get lost without the aid of a 'local'.

"The master, his wife, their daughter, and the master's brother are all outside on the patio that overlooks the garden." Erica explained as they made a left and went past the main doors. Cat barely heard her, as she was looking left and right, both to satisfy her own curiosity and to figure out how to get out later. It was always good to have a plan, after all.

"So, who's this guy you keep calling master?" Cat questioned finally.

Erica smiled over her shoulder, her olive-green eyes sparkling. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Uh-huh," the girl muttered, mood darkening considerably. At least Erica seemed a bit more friendly now.

Finally they reached another set of French doors, and Erica held one open while dipping her head to the girl. Cat raised one eyebrow and headed out into the bright light, temporarily blinded as she stumbled onto the patio. Blinking her eyes, Cat noticed the garden and a few plants spilling onto the patio, kept in standard clay pots. She saw the yellow-and-tan tiles that made intricate patterns, and tried to make some sense of it before someone coughed politely.

Her eyes finally snapped back up, and the she-wolf thought she had entered Hell itself.

There, sitting in the loungers and chairs that surrounded a lone, stone table were Sheryl, Road, and Tyki. Another woman sat off to the side that Cat didn't recognize, but her eyes stayed locked on the three Noah. Blinking several times and finally shutting her open mouth, the girl felt her body twitch involuntarily. One side of her wanted to charge at them and rip into their flesh, but the saner, human side of her brain screamed at her to run for her life. Both ideas were thrown out the window though as the girl remained rooted to the spot.

_What the fuck is going on here? _It was a question she wanted to ask aloud, but didn't dare to. Finally realizing how pathetic she must have looked, Cat straightened herself, her eyes narrowing to match the gaze of the three amused Noah. _Screw with me and you'll find out what an angry she-wolf can really do._

"Welcome," Sheryl suddenly said, popping up from his seat. He threw his arms open wide, and a large grin was plastered across his face. Road also got up and bounded towards Cat, making the girl instantly take a step back. Seeing three members of the Noah Clan was bad enough – especially in their white personas – but having them treat her like an actual guest was mind-boggling. It felt as if her world had just fallen off the edge of the precipice and was spiraling downwards quickly.

Pushing Cat towards the table, Sheryl's arm casually looped around the girl's shoulders made her nervous. It was like allowing the lion to place a paw on the lamb's neck; it just wasn't natural. Having her sit down next to the blond-haired woman, Sheryl returned to his seat, the smile still in place.

"Have we been considerate hosts?" He laughed, as if enjoying an inside joke. "What's your name?"

The question was absurd, and Cat was sure the Noah speaking to her knew so. Pausing for a moment, she decided to play along, not sure how much the woman besides her and Erica the maid knew. "Cat."

"No last name?" Sheryl huffed, looking displeased by the notion. His sly grin then went to Tyki who visibly stiffened as his 'brother' gave him a suggestive look. "We may have found you a wife, finally. Do you think the Earl would be pleased?" Frankly, Tyki also looked as shell-shocked as the Exorcist across from him. Stuttering an unintelligible remark, Tyki looked away, still muttering to himself. "What do you think, Cat?" Sheryl then inquired.

"Oh, stop teasing your brother and our guest," the blond woman finally admonished.

In the mean time, Cat was reconsidering the side of her that wanted to tear out Sheryl's heart through his throat.

"You're probably wondering why it is that you're here." Finally recapturing the girl's attention, Sheryl's dark brown eyes stared her down, purposely trying to make her feel inferior. He was practically a noble in these parts, being the Minister, and being a Noah gave him the rights of god. How could a pathetic Exorcist ever match up to the standards of such a noble creature as the Noah? "Anyways, we found you unconscious nearby and decided to give you refuge for the time being. Or at least until your wounds heal."

_Oh, I get it. They're either going to serve me to the Earl on a silver platter, or they're going to barter for me with the Order. _Cat could already imagine the horrified expressions her comrades would make when they learned of her predicament. Allen would be furious, and he'd probably go charging off to help her. _Can I opt for option number one? _Frankly, being the damsel-in-distress scenario just didn't appeal to the girl. She'd rather be fried and eaten rather than have a _male_ come swooping in to protect her.

Deciding she might as well 'enjoy' her time spent with the Noah, she gave a smug smirk. "Thank you so very much. I really do appreciate your hospitality." While the two male Noah looked surprised by what she said, Road looked entertained. Perhaps she had found a temporary playmate.

Feeling it was time to intervene, the blond-woman stood, instantly grabbing the intention of everyone. "Why don't I show Cat around the estate?"

"Tricia, you don't have to do that," Sheryl whined, "why don't you go lie down?"

"But who will show her around? Erica just left to go shopping and the other servants are busy preparing for tomorrow's party." The woman named Tricia looked concerned, her kind eyes studying Cat and her husband both.

"Tricia…if it'd make you go rest and be at ease, I'll show her around." Cat's brown orbs looked at Tyki as he spoke, his words very clipped and careful. He probably hadn't forgotten Sheryl's comment either, and didn't want anyone getting ideas.

Even if they did, Cat would beat the idea out of them anyways.

"Would you Tyki, dear?" Tricia asked, instantly relaxing. He nodded with a wry smile on his face. Now that the matter had been settled, Sheryl and Road ushered the sickly woman off back into the house, while the lone Noah and Exorcist stood side-by-side. After a few moments, Tyki started forward, not bothering to look back to see if the girl was following him. Thinking she'd take the chance to escape – and what Noah didn't love a chase? – Tyki continued on his merry way. Yet when he found Cat keeping pace with him, he was both annoyed and stunned by the girl's audacity.

Cat didn't look up, but watched as Tyki moved into the ballroom where she noticed tables were being set up at. "So, who was that woman? Not a Noah, I assume."

A bit of a smirk pulled at the corner of Tyki's mouth. "She's Sheryl's wife and Road's mother."

"You didn't answer the second part."

"That part was a statement, not a question," the smug bastard responded, much to Cat's irritation. "So, technically, I don't have to answer it." Dodging around two people who were pushing a cart of silverware into the ball room, Cat finally had to rush to catch up to the Noah. Yet she paused, standing still near the base of the stairs as Tyki started up them. Noticing the girl was no longer following, he stopped and looked back down, wondering why the girl had stopped. Without saying anything, he watched as an inner turmoil tore the girl apart. He knew that the Exorcist within wanted to kill him, but her human side couldn't help but want to follow after him.

Her brown eyes finally snapped up and the wolf was challenging Tyki without any words or movements. Essentially, she was daring him to look away first, as she usually did with her own friends. The male met her gaze steadily, and it became obvious neither one was going to win or lose. Instead, the Noah grinned largely.

"You're eying the wrong man."

"You're using the wrong woman." Cat shot back, eyes narrowed dangerously. By this time, a few servants had stopped to watch the two and were confused by the transpiring events. Tyki noticed and gave the girl a pointed look, trying to get her to come up the stairs. After another long minute, she slowly started up, her eyes still locked on him. Both amused and angered, the dark-skinned man with brown eyes waited for the Exorcist to catch up.

Continuing up the stairs, he threw an ominous warning over his shoulder. "You had best watch your back, because you're not here as a guest. You're nothing more than a prisoner." A sadistic smile appeared on Cat's face as she chuckled darkly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way…"

…X…

_I invite you to a world where there is no such thing as time  
And every creature lends themselves to change your state of mind  
And the girl that chased the rabbit, drank the wine and took the pill  
Has locked herself in limbo to see how it truly feels  
To stand outside your virtue  
No one can ever hurt you  
Or so they say…_

…X…

There you have it, the beginning of a mini-plot! Mwahaha!

Anyways, I'm hoping you guys appreciated a bit of a longer chapter, since I enjoyed writing it. :3

Next Chapter: The Noah throw a ball in which the Earl attends.

In the mean time, the Order tries to figure out what has happened to Cat.

-PA


	16. Coming Out Strong

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Well, here's the second chapter in our mini-plot! Mwahaha!

Anyways, please read, enjoy, and leave a review on your way out.

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

Coming Out Strong

Ana Johnsson

…X…

Awakening the next morning, Cat found herself still stuck in Sheryl's mansion. It wasn't so bad – considering no one had tried to kill her yet – but she wanted to return home to her friends. Sitting up, the girl grimaced down at her nightgown yet again. She wasn't a fan of being feminine, and even though she owned a nightgown herself, she rarely wore it. Blowing out a breath, she kicked the covers away, figuring Erica would take care of them eventually. Rising, she headed across the room and began opening furniture pieces in search of proper clothing. Settling on yet another pair of black dress pants and a white button-up shirt, the girl nodded at herself in the mirror.

_Ugh, this is turning into déjà vu. Do I always do this, even at the Order? _Cringing at the thought, the girl began to shrink away from the mirror but stopped when she noticed an assortment of bows and ties. Biting her lip, she decided that while she dressing up like a guy, she might as well pull her hair back as well. She rarely tied her hair up, but today was an exception, or so it seemed. After her hair was tamed with a black tie similar to the kind Kanda liked to wear and she had black flats on, she left the spacious room.

Having already remembered to get back down to the ball room and patio areas, Cat headed there. On normal occasions she might try to escape but the fear of being hunted down by three Noah held her back. Seeing how much the ball room had transformed during the night, the wolf gave a low whistle, very surprised. She had never attended a ball, after all, and had no idea how much work went into setting one up.

"Impressed?" Hearing Tricia's voice, Cat turned. Deciding she could be nice to her at least, she nodded. Tilting her head though, she wondered what was wrong with the woman. One, she looked very pale and even without her wolf nose she could tell the woman was ill. Two, why the fuck did she marry a Noah? Deciding the first question was more appropriate to ask, she trailed behind the blond-haired woman.

"I hope it's not too forward, but may I ask what you're ill with?" Tricia gave her a surprised smile.

"No one's quite sure, not even myself. By the way, you have a very polite manner of speaking and a gentle way of moving. Is it safe to assume you come from a noble family?" At that statement Cat almost broke out into laughter. Maintaining her image though, she shook her head.

"I'm not. I've just been taught that politeness is the key to getting what you want."

Tricia laughed lightly. "You're honest, too! If you stick around long enough, we may indeed end up having you as a family member."

"What do you mean?" Cat was now very alert and wary; whatever the Noah were planning, she wanted nothing to do with it. Instead, Tricia once again surprised her.

"I mean, my dear, that our little Tyki seemed to have his interest piqued by you." Cat could no longer hold out and she gave a short, barking laugh.

"I think not!"

Now giving her a puzzled look, Tricia stopped walking as they stood on a veranda that overlooked the garden. Cat blinked, wondering when the hell they had ever climbed any stairs. "What do you mean? Even after Sheryl's comment he still showed you around."

"Tolerating a person doesn't mean they're in love." Cat responded sourly, leaning forward to place her elbows on the stone railing. "In fact, I hate it when people act obligated to be nice to someone."

Nodding, the homely woman looked out at the clear, blue sky. "You have a beau already, don't you?"

Sputtering and slack-jawed, Cat's brown-eyes went wide as her face turned red. "I – You – No – It's – GAH." Turning away with a huff, Cat ignored Tricia's bright laughter.

"What, pray tell, is so funny?" Both women looked over to see Sheryl and Road heading towards them. Road looked as if she had just woken up since she was walking slowly, her hands rubbing at her eyes. When she approached Tricia, she gave the woman a hug and a muttered 'good morning'. Tricia explained to her husband what Cat's reaction had been when she had asked about her having a beau already, and the man laughed heartily. Wishing him a quick death silently and to herself, Cat was about to leave before Road stopped her.

"Why aren't you wearing anything pretty? You look like a boy." Twirling around, she showed off her own blouse and dress; both in a light pink shade. Refraining from hissing in Road's face, Cat took a deep breath.

"I just don't enjoy wearing dresses and skirts."

"I don't see why not. You're very pretty, and I think you'd look even better with a dress on." Tricia said, pondering what to do with the unruly girl. Cat immediately waved the compliment off, wanting nothing more than to escape. Finally seeing the opportunity when a servant came up to ask Sheryl and Tricia about something, she slipped away quickly and quietly.

…X…

"The golem that was with Cat finally came back," Komui Lee announced. The worn and weary Exorcists seemed to perk up at the news, although they feared it might carry a tale similar to what had happened to Allen in China. Based on the look on Komui's face, he didn't seem pleased, but he looked more serious than upset. Surely that meant that not all hope was lost?

Turning around, he signaled to Reever to kill the lights and to turn on the footage the golem had recorded. Stepping back, everyone in the room watched with fearful yet hopeful hearts as it showed Cat fighting several Akuma before finishing them off. Yet she was wounded and, based on the look on her face, in a great deal of pain. When the golem switched to looking in another direction, it jumped, as if startled by something.

The Exorcists could see why.

Clenching his fists, Allen glared at the footage as Tyki approached his friend. Feeling anger tear through him when the Noah went so far as to knock her out and pick her up, the silver-haired boy felt ready to kill anyone who got in his way from finding his friend. When Tyki disappeared into the Earl's Ark though, the golem swerved around, unable to figure out what to do. Unlike some of the other golems, this one was not attuned to Cat's presence and could not track her. The footage finally shut off, the lights came back on, and Komui addressed the Exorcists yet again.

"So far the Earl hasn't made any notion that he even has Cat. As to whether she's still alive or not, no one's sure. For right now, the most we can do is keep an eye open while everyone's out on patrol. Those who are already out on missions have been notified of the situation, so until we garner more news, please refrain from doing anything stupid." On the last part, Komui's eyes swept across the assembled Exorcists, his eyes lingering on Allen. He could see how pissed off the boy was, yet there wasn't anything to be done.

Right now it was a mere waiting game.

…X…

"Explain to me why the fu…why the heck I have to wear this?" Cat's angry voice carried through the ornate room and out the open windows. Erica and two other maids were currently doing alterations on a teal dress. It was a lot longer than Cat was tall, and the girl was getting irked with the whole process. Hell, she didn't want to wear the damn thing anyways, or go down to the Noah's fucking ball! Yet here she was, probably three hours away from it, and feeling like a wreck.

She planned on strangling the first male she came upon after this.

"But you look beautiful!" Erica persisted, smiling from where she was checking the hem for any tears. Cat felt a snarl come to her lips, yet she once again stopped herself from doing so. Why she was being so patient, she had no idea. By now she should have killed a few people…at least.

The dress, while nice in color, was even better in design. It wasn't like those damnable, floofy and poofy dresses that had way too many layers to them. Instead, it was sleek and made of the finest material. Straps in two different areas kept the dress in place; straps that wrapped around her torso, and then some that wrapped around her neck. The straps themselves had tiny, silver beads on them that also ran down the middle back piece and onto the dress's edge. Needless to say, it was very elegant and expensive, but the volatile girl was about to light it on fire.

Sora had done this to her twice, and now it was a mockery to have her enemies do the same.

"There, we should be done!" Erica finally said, clapping her hands together. "Now time to do makeup and your hair!" Cat felt her eye twitch, but allowed the three women to fuss over her. "We usually only take care of Tricia and Miss Road, so having a new face to work with is so refreshing!" The maid chirped a little while later as she brushed out Cat's hair. The Exorcist, in the mean time, was getting more and more agitated as time passed by. Finally, an hour before the ball actually started – and guests were already arriving – the maids had finished their torture and left Cat to stew a bit.

"When I get out there, I'm killing the Noah, witnesses be damned!" Cat vowed with fire in her eyes.

…X…

An hour of waiting had almost turned the she-wolf into a basket case, but she refrained from ruining her dress or outright destroying something. Instead, she meandered around her room and paced back and forth until she thought she was going to scream. From her vantage point on the veranda she noticed more and more carriages pulling in, carrying all sorts of influential people. Whistling lowly for the second time that day, it was only a moment later when a small knock called her to the door.

Pulling it open, she came face-to-face with someone she hadn't seen all day; Tyki Mikk.

"You know, you Noah are the last creatures on this earth I wanted to be stuck with." Her haughty attitude did nothing but amuse Tyki, who offered a bit of a smirk. He was wearing a normal black suite with white undershirt, a black bow, and black dress shoes. His long hair was still swept back into a ponytail, and his skin was still dark, but the tiny stigmata were nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it, she wondered why he looked so much like his 'black persona' without the gold eyes and tiny crosses. Frowning, she pondered the question even as he tugged on her arm and yanked her out of the room.

"I know that, but Sheryl doesn't seem to care. Tricia and Road were the ones who wanted to see you attend the ball in a dress, actually." Tyki was pulled to a stop as the girl furiously dug her heels into the plush carpet.

"Then why the fuck am I here? What do you want with me?" Her eyes were as cold as ice, but her voice was almost pleading. It was as if she _needed_ to hear the answer.

Needless to say, Tyki was slightly taken aback by the girl's open emotions. He had been prepared for her turning into a wolf and trying to kill him, Sheryl, and Road the moment she saw them. Instead, she had remained in her human skin and went along with the flow of things. Whether it was the Noah blood that flowed through her veins or the patient hunter within that prevented her from any rash actions, he felt it odd that she held back. Closing his eyes briefly, he suddenly started tugging her along again, this time at a much faster pace. "I'll tell you, but only if you treat me to a dance first." He offered a toothy grin that made the girl stutter and blush. She couldn't believe she was about to dance with the enemy!

Getting to the stairs that led down into the ball room, Tyki straightened himself and told Cat to do so as well. First impressions were good, after all. Rolling her shoulders and setting her eyes ahead, the girl wasn't about to let her pride as a wolf go down the drain because of a damnable Noah. Looping their arms together both had to ignore the inner instincts that were screaming for them to kill one another.

_Was this what my mother had to deal with every time she was near my father?_

Sneaking a look at Tyki, she found he was watching her with rapt attention. "What?" She finally hissed, embarrassed beyond belief.

"Nothing, nothing at all…" With that said, they began to walk down the stairs. Immediately people began to turn their heads to see the two enter and muted whispers began spreading through the ecstatic crowd. As they stepped down from the last step and onto the tiled floor, Cat concentrated on not falling flat on her face. Hearing someone approach, she looked up through her eyelashes, only to see Tricia and Sheryl standing before her and Tyki.

"My, you really do look beautiful!" Tricia cooed, pride radiating off her. "I knew that old dress would be perfect."

"This is yours?" Cat muttered, wondering why the blond-haired woman was wearing a rather ugly salmon-pink, frilly dress. She was given no response though as the two in front of her began chattering away with Tyki, throwing in a teasing statement every now and again. He looked like he was getting rather irked by their words, and Cat really wasn't surprised when he suddenly began towing her away towards the other couples that were dancing.

"If Sheryl or Tricia makes one more comment about you and me being together…!" He gritted his teeth but placed one hand on Cat's hip while using his other hand to start leading her in a rhythmical pace. While the first song was moderate rhythm wise, the next was fast-paced, and the third song was slow and relaxing.

"I thought you said _one_ dance," Cat finally muttered.

"I guess I did." His smirk infuriated Cat, and she really was to the point of ripping out his throat. Right as he was about to lead her away though, Sheryl came over, face flushed.

"The Earl is coming in!" Tyki stiffened and Cat's heart fell; she was as good as dead. "Hide the girl!" Blinking, she struggled to figure out what the hell was going on as Tyki ushered her away and into another hallway. After being shoved into a dark room, the wolf latched onto her captor before he could leave.

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded. Tyki looked down at her, contemplating the pros and cons of telling her the truth. Guiding her back to the middle of the room, his eyes stared down at her intently.

"We were going to give you to the Earl where he could kill you-"

"I figured that!"

"-but we decided that you may have a bit of worth, and that we acted rashly."

Tilting her head, Cat couldn't get a single coherent phrase out of her throat before the man left, closing the door behind him and leaving her completely in the dark. Inhaling deeply in order to sooth the savage beast within, she plopped down onto the bed and looked down at her hands. They were clasped tightly together and lying in her lap, seemingly casual for how tense she really felt. Feeling her body begin to quiver and shake like it did when she was cold or extremely nervous, she waited what seemed like forever for someone to come back to get her.

Finally, Sheryl entered the room, his face somber. "The party is over and the Earl is leaving as well. It's alright to come out in a few minutes after he's gone." Cat merely looked away, angry and trying to figure out why these people were keeping her alive. All things considered, they could have handed her to the Earl where he could do the deed himself. Instead, they hid her and kept her from having to face the music. Why, she would probably never know.

Snaking her way from the room back to the main ball room where the family was congregated, Tricia was the first to notice her. "Oh, are you feeling better?" She asked, taking Cat's hands into her own. "I heard from Tyki you were feeling ill."

Shooting the three smirking Noah a nasty look past Tricia, she offered a tiny smile. "Uh, yeah, I'm okay." Wanting to hit herself for such a laid-back and informal response, the girl went back to eying the three. She hoped they knew they weren't getting off without telling her the truth. Luckily enough though, Sheryl asked his wife to go to bed, since it was late, and she complied with ease. When she finally disappeared up the stairs, Cat rounded on the members of the Noah clan, her face already twisted into a snarl.

"Can we discuss this outside…in private?" Sheryl asked, one hand held up in a complacent manner.

Feeling her anger dissipate like morning mist, Cat agreed tersely. She followed them out of the cavernous room and out onto the patio. Beginning to feel like this was turning into déjà vu, the girl felt tense. She didn't trust the Noah with a mouse's tail, so why did she trust them when coming out here? Perhaps the Earl was lying in wait, just wanting to kill her. Eying the area around her, Cat's instincts told her there was no impending danger. Her thoughts and emotions stayed frayed and taught though, just the worn strings on a guitar. Shaking with anger, she finally turned, opening her mouth to make a smart ass comment that could very well get her killed.

"As we said before, we acted rashly. You may have more uses than we previously thought. Are you satisfied with that answer?" Sheryl said quickly before Cat could say anything. The girl felt her anger fizzle out again, and Road laughed at her bewildered expression.

"We'll still hand you over to the Earl for final judgment," the girl chuckled. She stepped forward, her eyes shifting to their usual golden hue. "Perhaps you wish for death, and that's why you act as if you've resigned yourself to your fate." The evil smirk on her face was mocking the wolf, who clenched her fists in anger. Cat would have given anything to transform and attack the Noah, but she chose to take the high road instead of the low road.

Straightening and looking down upon Road who looked decidedly annoyed with the action, Cat spoke in a calm, steely voice. "I at least have people I have to protect. Thusly, I have a reason to live." Her own eyes flashed golden, reminding the three fools before her that they shared common blood, in a sense of the word. "And believe me, even if you try to hand me over to the Earl I'll fight back. I'll make sure you'd regret your decision." That said, the girl snorted loudly and turned to leave.

"You wouldn't even last against one of us, much less three of us, so watch your tongue." Hearing Tyki's voice, Cat stopped and turned her head slightly. Her annoyed grimace suddenly melted into a sad frown, and she turned away again.

"And I thought I was coming to understand you a bit more…" Of course this was said quietly and went unnoticed by the three members of the clan of Noah, and Cat began trudging along again. These people were supposed to be her enemies.

Then why did she feel letdown by their obvious loathing of her…?

…X…

_It's strange how everything changes  
Through your eyes the colors were fading  
You've tried  
You can't see the world the same  
It's cold falling down  
Like a shadow on the ground_

…X…

Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter!

The last installment of this arc is in the next chapter. :3

NEXT CHAPTER: The Noah are foolish enough to trust Cat and take her out shopping with them.

When she runs into Sol, will he help her or leave her for dead?

-PA


	17. I Stand

Golden Mist

Disclaimer – Don't own it, never will. OCs, however, are mine!

A/N: Final chapter in our little arc. I hope you've enjoyed it, since I have. :3

P.S: This'll be the last time she gets herself into trouble…for now. XD

**DGM/GS SPOILERS ABOUND!**

I Stand

Idina Menzel

…X…

"Good morning, Miss." Cat turned and looked at Erica but waved her off immediately. She didn't want to be bothered at the moment. To be frank, her mind was still trying to grasp the concept of having Noah _protect_ her. Since the action really didn't click in the slightest bit, Cat felt the beginnings of a headache.

Erica tilted her head, her brows furrowing. "Miss, the master told me that you were to accompany him, Miss Road, and Sir Tyki to the market. If you aren't feeling well though, I'll tell them that you're unable to come-"

Hearing those magical words, Cat jumped up, her hazel eyes wide and feverish. "Really? Then in that case I'm fine." Erica didn't look convinced but based on the look on the young girl's face she sighed and said she would let Sheryl know. As soon as the door clicked close behind her though, Cat began pacing back and forth. Her teeth clamped down on her tongue in concentration and she thought long and hard about what to do. Outside the mansion walls Cat had a better chance of escaping, but she knew that she was still going to be in the presence of three Noah. Getting away from them would be hard, but it wouldn't be impossible.

Stopping suddenly, Cat pounded her right fist into the palm of her left hand and gave an evil smile. "They're going to regret having trusted me so much."

…X…

"My, you seem rather subdued." Sheryl was staring at Cat, a smirk forming. The girl paid him no heed and instead continued to stare out the window of the carriage, her mind elsewhere. She was still thinking about how she was going to get away from the three Noah that were sitting around her. She was determined to escape though, one way or another. She refused to stay with them any more. This little 'adventure' had been enough to last her a lifetime.

Road then suddenly kicked Cat who hissed with annoyance. The kick hadn't really hurt, but her Innocence still demanded that she reach out to the girl and grab her by the throat. How she refrained from doing so, Cat was uncertain of, but she counted her lucky stars anyways. She had somehow gone without being injured, maimed, killed, or all three, which was a miracle in this situation. "Stop ignoring us!" Road whined while also pouting.

Turning away from the window and back to the three, Cat narrowed her eyes. "Why wouldn't I ignore you?"

"We're not that bad!" Road snapped, kicking the girl again.

Cat released a feral growl, her patience beginning to wane. A hand on her shoulder prevented her from taking a swipe at the 'innocent child'. Shooting a glare to Tyki, who she was sitting next to, she scooted closer to the window and went back to watching the world pass them by.

Finally the carriage shuddered to a stop and the four of them piled out like they were a normal family instead of three Noah plus a hostage. Looking left and right, Cat started mapping escape routes. If she had been in this town beforehand she would have had the advantage, but she was playing in the Noah's neighborhood now. So if she wanted to run, it had to be quick and she had to pray for a miracle.

"This way~!" Road chirped, grabbing Cat's hand suddenly and yanking her forward. The wolf felt her head spin briefly and almost screamed as the tiny girl lugged her away. Tyki and Sheryl shared an amused chuckle before following after them at a much slower pace, taking their sweet time. They finally spotted Road standing in front of a clothing store, watching them and tapping her foot against the cobblestone street. Cat was slumped against the building and sitting on a conveniently-placed crate while she panted for breath. Needless to say, Road had dragged her along the street at an in-human pace and she was now out of breath.

The two males finally stopped in front of Road, who looked up at them with an annoyed expression. "You're slow."

"You're fast," Tyki shot back as he ruffled Road's hair. When the girl bit his hand like a piranha though, that sent him into a screaming fit. Passerby's stared at the strange scene but hurried along when the four sent them dark looks.

"So why are we here?" Cat finally snapped, jerking one thumb up at the sign above her head. It was a tailor's shop and looked fancy based on the clothes that were visible in the window. Road smiled happily which looked strange to Cat who was used to seeing them grinning evilly or smirking. Moving back towards the wall, the wolf raised one eyebrow in concern.

"We're here to get me a new dress!" Road spun around as if she already had the new dress on at that moment.

Cat frowned before sighing deeply. "Do I have to go in?"

"No," Sheryl answered quickly, "you get to stand in the alleyway so that you don't get in the way." Based on the look on his face Cat knew that she had no other choice so she stood up and moved towards the mouth of the alley. A hand stopped her though and Sheryl leaned in close. "Don't even think about trying to run away. If you do…" He let the threat hang in the air before turning and entering the store with Road and Tyki (who was grumbling about having to go in while the wolf didn't).

The agitated wolf moved towards the alley, only to be greeted with a surprise.

Sol was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping peacefully. Yet when the girl approached, he straightened, his tawny eyes scanning her over. "Having fun?"

"Like hell," Cat retorted, moving closer. While she hated the boy, he was still someone from the Order; someone she felt that she could trust. "I'm glad that you're here though." Sol raised one eyebrow, a smirk playing across his features.

"And why is that?"

"You can help me get away," she deadpanned. Cat's brown eyes stared him down, daring him to try to leave her there. She refused to be left in the hands of the Noah any more and she wanted to go home. She was tired of being a prisoner, whether she was getting the royal treatment or not.

Sol snorted, turning away from her. "Yeah, right. Why would I help you?"

Cat gritted her teeth, trying to stop herself from tackling him and punching him until he didn't move any more. She took a deep breath though and tried to smile at the older male. "We're comrades, aren't we? Had you been captured, I would have done anything to help you."

Startled by her statement, Sol turned back sharply. He studied her, his brows scrunched up in confusion. Why would she say something like that? Just to get him to help her, or was it the absolute truth? The way she was smiling and looking at him led him to believe that it was the truth, which was scary. He wanted her dead, they got into fights, and they just disagreed with each other when it came to things in general. So why did she say she was willing to do anything to help someone she considered a comrade? Frustrated beyond belief, the male curled his hands into fists and growled. "Fine, I'll help you get away. Are you ready to go?"

While she was surprised, Cat was also relieved. She looked back towards the dress shop, as if she expected the Noah to bust out at that moment and prevent her from leaving. Yet when nothing happened, she gave Sol a toothy grin. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

…X…

About ten minutes after the two Exorcists left the alley and the town itself, Tyki emerged from the shop. Sheryl had ordered him to go and make sure the wolf was still there, much to Tyki's chagrin. Yet when he didn't spot Cat right away, he began searching around, only to find nothing. Slapping his forehead, Tyki was annoyed since he had to be the one to tell Sheryl the bad news. Sighing, he accepted his fate and entered the dress shop again and gave the other two Noah the news.

Almost immediately, Sheryl and Road came out with irritation evident on their faces.

"She escaped anyways, the bitch!" Sheryl hissed, making people from the main street turn and stare. When he glared at them, they quickly scuttled away, not wanting to have anything to do with the three crazy people.

Road placed her hands on her hip, looking a bit more subdued than her 'father'. "Of course she left. Would you stick around if the Exorcists caught you and they took you out shopping?" Road rolled her eyes, watching as Sheryl lost his composure further and kicked a trash can. Tyki held one hand over his mouth in an attempt to smother his laughter.

Finally feeling defeated, Sheryl plopped down on a crate and frowned. "Let's never tell the Earl…agreed?"

"Agreed," two voices replied.

…X…

"Hey, look what I found." Sol and Cat had walked right into the middle of the cafeteria, not really caring to hide the fact that the wolf was, indeed, back.

"Cat!" Several of her friends stood and swarmed around her while others watched the scene with mild interest. Sol moved away, not interested in human contact, so he quickly escaped the room.

"What happened to you?" Lenalee asked, staring at Cat with apprehension. She raised one eyebrow as she looked at the shorter girl's clothing, and Cat merely waved her hand in a dismissive manner.

She then shrugged. "Not much, really. The Noah decided that I needed to spend some time with them, apparently." Lenalee looked confused, and Cat chuckled. "In other words, I spent two lovely weeks in Sheryl's mansion as a prisoner."

"Were you chained up in their dungeon?" Timothy asked as he attempted to climb Cat like she was a tree and he was a monkey.

Shaking off the irritating child, Cat glowered down at him. "No, I actually got a room three times as big as the one I have here and lived in the lap of luxury. Too bad my 'hosts' were our enemies. I may not have come back otherwise." Her hazel eyes glittered mischievously, and a few of the assembled ones laughed at her statement. While the others continued asking her questions, Cat answered them in an off-handed manner, her eyes scanning the crowd, searching for someone in particular.

Cutting off the conversation, the girl stood on her toes in order to look around some more. "Where's Allen?"

"Oh, I think he's training with Lavi," Lenalee said. She was just about to say something else when Cat suddenly began jogging off, throwing a grin at her friends.

"I'll be right back!"

…X…

When she discovered Allen and Lavi, the two were so engrossed in their fight they didn't even notice her presence. Not that she minded, of course. It was rather entertaining to watch the two prance around each other, trying to land hits on one another. She leaned against the stone wall, her heart beating a little more rapidly than before. Two weeks had passed since she had seen Allen, and to be frank, she had missed him quite a bit. And it wasn't like she hadn't missed the others, of course.

Finally the two separated, breathing heavily and looking annoyed by their lack of progress when it came to wounding the other. Cat took that moment to cough politely, instantly capturing the attention of the two males.

Since Lavi was already facing her, he offered her a large smile and waved the hand that wasn't holding his hammer. Allen took more time since he had to turn around, but when he noticed her, he almost dropped his sword. "Hey Cat!" Lavi called when Allen said nothing.

"Miss me?" She taunted, jumping down into the sand to walk towards the two males. Lavi flung an arm around her shoulder, his grin never fading.

"Of course~!"

Cat tilted her head at Allen, who was still staring at her with a slack jaw. "Hey," she whispered. He finally straightened up a bit and gave a strained smile.

"Hey yourself."

Lavi suddenly gave a piercing whistle, making sure they still knew he was here. When Cat glared at him though, he removed his arm from her shoulder and turned to hop back onto the ledge in order to leave. "Have fun lovebirds~!" Snickering merrily to himself, Lavi didn't see the black slipper that came hurtling at him before it smacked him square in the face. Deciding it was indeed time to leave, he made a run for it, not in the mood to be killed by an angry she-wolf.

Now that they were alone, Allen let his Innocence disappear and return into the form of his left arm. He moved towards Cat but stopped, feeling awkward. What the hell should he say? 'Welcome back'? That sounded a bit lame. Yet when Cat suddenly stalked up to him and stood on her toes in order to kiss him, Allen forgot about saying anything and let his body convey his message.

Allen was taken aback by the kiss, but answered it all the same. He wrapped one arm around Cat's waist, pulling her close and finding – to his satisfaction – that they fit together like two puzzle pieces. In the mean time, Cat lifted one hand in order to grab his hair and pull him down a bit more to her height. Granted there wasn't an extreme difference in their height, but it bugged her all the same. Allen then took the incentive to push her up against the wall and felt a smug smirk form when he heard her hiss in pain.

When his lips trailed down from her mouth to her neck, Cat smiled slightly. "I think it's safe to say that you did miss me."

"Of course," Allen replied breathlessly before moving back to kiss her on the lips.

"You should be happy that I'm back; Sheryl's wife thought Tyki and I would make a good couple." Feeling him freeze, her eyes lit up with amusement as he pulled away to sputter incoherent phrases.

"You – I – Tyki – Wha…?" Then finally; "Sheryl has a wife?"

Cat lifted her hands to her mouth and snickered behind them. Allen glared at her, but since he was also pouting, it didn't exactly work. "Yes, yes, Sheryl has a wife. And she's a _human_. Her name was Tricia, and yes, she thought I should have stuck around in order to 'get to know' Tyki better. Ha!" She started laughing. If only Tricia had known! Wow, the poor thing just didn't know what she was suggesting. Yet when Cat suddenly thought of her parents, she sobered slightly, a frown appearing on her face.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked with concern evident in his voice. Cat merely shook her head, refusing to answer him. He leaned down again, placing soft kisses along her jaw line. "Now will you tell me?" He whispered into her ear. When she refused again, Allen grinned evilly, making Cat's eyes widen.

He suddenly lifted her up, bridal-style, reminding her of the night they had dinner on top of the Black Howl Club. Blushing profusely, she started yelling at him as he left the training arena and started heading towards the door. "What are you doing?" She demanded while struggling in his grasp. He continued walking down the hallway and they began passing more and more people who turned to stare at the strange duo. As they continued along, Cat began to get even more embarrassed as she noticed people they actually knew and buried her head into Allen's chest. Miranda blinked at them rapidly, Kanda glowered at them, Lavi waved, Timothy whistled, and the jests just kept coming.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Cat finally asked, her face still hidden from view.

Allen glanced down at her, and smiled lightly. "To prove a point."

Cat looked up at him, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. "What point is that?"

By now they had reached Cat's room and Allen set her down on the bed before sitting next to her. "I wanted to prove to you that I don't care what others think, and you shouldn't either." His earnest gray eyes made the girl's heart seize up with admiration, and she flung herself at him, pushing her face into the crook of his neck.

"…You're too damn cute when you want to be, ya know that?" Allen smiled in response as he rubbed her back soothingly. He recalled the times when he was a child and had listened to the cruel words of others as they cringed away from his deformity. Yet now that he was older, Allen looked back on those times and wondered why he had ever taken those cruel words to heart. "Allen?"

"Hmmm?" He was stroking Cat's hair at this point, and he could feel her relaxing against him, meaning she was probably falling asleep.

"Je t'aime." Allen hadn't learned much French during his lifetime, but Mana had taught him a little bit, and he had picked up some during his time with the Order. Yet he knew that phrase quite well, and it made him smile like an idiot.

"I love you too."

…X…

_'Cause I stand for the power to change,  
I live for the perfect day,  
I love till it hurts like crazy,  
I hope for a hero to save me,  
I stand for the strange and lonely,  
I believe there's a better place,  
I don't know if the sky is heaven,  
But I pray anyway…_

…X…

And that's the end of our little mini-plot! :3 And there was FLUFF.

Anyways, I used French here because I figured the Japanese phrase "Aishiteru" has been overused.

Plus, since I'm taking French, I thought I'd use it rather than any other language. :3

Ugh, this was supposed to turn out way different, but it ended up like this. All well, I guess it worked. O3O

**Next Chapter:** Sol is sent on a mission by himself, and when he is saved by an unlikely ally, he begins to realize he can't do everything alone.

-PA


End file.
